


slow is a relative term, right?

by sapphicirene



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: College-ish, F/F, Fluff, Hurt and comfort, Light Angst, biker!minji, extremely minimal plot its just them being annoying the entire time, minji and bora are both stupid and gay and they do stupid and gay things together for the entire fic, shameless flirting but thats to be expected, side siyoo because i love them dearly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:27:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27250441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicirene/pseuds/sapphicirene
Summary: bora is having, probably, the worst day of her life, and all she wants is a moment of silence. enter minji, the obnoxious biker whose motorcycle is entirely too loud for bora's liking.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Kim Minji | JiU, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 18
Kudos: 164





	slow is a relative term, right?

**Author's Note:**

> hi!!! this is by far the longest fic i have ever written and somehow it is still like entirely devoid of plot, but like in the best way possible i think. please let me know your thoughts, i'd love to hear them!

Bora’s teeth are clenched in an uncomfortable smile as she greets the front office staff of her apartment building. She’s surprised they’re still here, actually. It was 7:30 at night, and Bora had been exhausted from her long commute from campus. The bus ride was 40 minutes on a good day, and on an awful, no-good, piece-of-shit day like today, it was over an hour. Usually, she would just stare out the windows and glance out at the city passing her by, but today she sat in silence and tried to calm herself down. She was exhausted, to say the least.

It’s her sophomore year of college, and the pace is swiftly picking up seemingly out of nowhere, essays and projects and performances taking up all of her time. She’s at her wit’s end. Today, she had spent her time after her classes and dance club at the rather tiny and unkempt tutoring office on campus. She had agonized over microeconomics for hours, and still couldn’t make out why absolute advantage and opportunity cost were so important. She was a _dance_ major, for god’s sake! Why did she need to know about import and export quotas?

And the worst part, the entire time some entitled prick of an econ major had been staring her down her shirt and belittling her attempts at understanding the concepts. To think she has to _pay_ for these sessions; to get ogled by some virgin that probably gets off to analyzing production possibility frontiers, it was the highlight of her day, really. 

So here she is now, stomping up the stairs to her seventh floor apartment rather childishly, huffing in anger each time she reaches a new floor. Bora feels sharp aches shooting up her shins at the speed she was ascending the stairs, skipping a few at a time. The aching sensation helped soothe the rage in the forefront of her mind, so she didn’t stop until she reached her apartment door.

Bora exhaled deeply and paused, doubling over in pain as the throbbing in her legs finally caught up to her, and she knew she’d be paying for it tomorrow. Once she recovered, she straightened up and slid her backpack around to her front to get her keys out, and her sweaty fingers slipped over the zippers more times than she could count, unable to get enough traction.

“ _Fuck.”_ She seethed, as the zipper to her bag got caught on some of the tutoring sheets she had angrily shoved in earlier.

“Stupid fucking piece-of-garbage bag doesn’t even work stupid-- FUCK!” she continues, shaking at the zipper wildly until it ends up breaking, the contents of her bag spilling all over the hallway.

The door in front of her opens gingerly, and a bewildered Siyeon peeks out from the doorway.

“God, Bora. What is up with you?”

“You couldn’t have opened the door two minutes sooner, huh?” Bora snaps, gathering all of her papers on the floor.

Siyeon laughs and bends down to help her, to which Bora swats her hands away angrily. Siyeon gasps in mock offense and hisses lowly, mocking the cat-like swats Bora had been making at her.

“Yikes, bad day?” Siyeon says.

Bora forces a laugh. “You could say that.”

“I’m sorry, Bora. We got pizza though! Pizza has never made someone’s day worse!” Siyeon beams at her.

(Bora ends up burning the roof of her mouth, so yes, she learns that pizza really _can_ make someone’s day worse.)

She huffs, and smiles weakly at Siyeon.

“Thanks, I’ll have some.”

...

It’s been a few hours since dinner, and Bora is still fuming. She closes her eyes and the first image that races to the front of her mind is the wandering eyes of her sorry excuse of a tutor. Her face squints in anger, and she can feel her nails breaching through the skin of her palm as she clenches her fists. 

She’s currently sitting on one of the shitty outdoor chairs her and her roommates had bought for their small patio, which overlooks the side street that leads into their apartment. It’s ugly, it’s hot, and she hates being outside, but Siyeon and Yoohyeon are loudly belting to some song she’s unsure of, and the last thing she wants right now is to be in the middle of those two and a handle of vodka. 

Bora didn’t even bother to bring her phone with her, she just wanted to sit outside and stew in her anger. She opens her palms slowly, afraid to see the damage she had done. She sighs when she sees a few marks, and pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes.

She’s startled by an ear-shattering exhaust pop of a motorcycle, followed by a loud engine rev. She jumps at the sudden loud noise, and narrows her eyes, searching for the source of the sound. Her mouth opens in shock when she sees a cloud of smoke erupting from a motorcycle on the side street below. Bora’s blood absolutely boils at the sight, and any semblance of impulse control she would usually have (which is slim to none) is nonexistent after the day she’s had.

“Can you shut the FUCK up?” She hollers below, unable to find the restraint to filter her thoughts. She somewhat regrets it, but she can't say she doesn’t revel in the rush of adrenaline that she gets from cussing out some random passerby.

The person on the motorcycle stops their bike, and there’s a clicking sound that reverberates through the alleyway that unnerves Bora. The cloud of smoke dissipates slowly, and the person kicks down the kickstand, shifting their legs over to one side of the bike and removing their helmet. 

Bora is shocked to see long blonde hair fall out of the helmet, and is even more taken aback when the woman at the helm of the motorcycle is nothing short of stunning. _Now_ she regrets yelling. The woman is around her age, maybe a little older. Bora can’t exactly make out her features from her balcony, but she can tell she’s gorgeous, her leather jacket and tight pants framing her toned body well. Bora gulps, and she feels heat rising to her face out of sheer panic.

“Excuse me?” The woman says calmly, resting her helmet on her lap and tilting her head up at Bora, who is leaning over the balcony.

Bora wants nothing more than to crawl in a shallow hole and die. Her brain is in damage control mode, and she wants to apologize and beg for forgiveness, but her stubbornness won’t let her. Besides, she’s in far too deep to take it back, it’s not like you can curse someone out and then immediately beg to take them on a date.

“You’re obnoxious!” She says, cupping her hands to the side of her mouth to better project her voice.

Bora is shocked when the woman laughs at her.

“Really? Most women find my bike kinda sexy!” The woman replies, her tone smooth as honey despite being so loud. 

“Yeah, real ladykiller. People are trying to sleep!”

“Not you, though.” She replies without a second thought. “Got nothing better to do than harass women from your balcony?”

Bora gasps.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

The woman laughs again.

“Is that not what’s happening here?”

“NO! I’m yelling at you for being so obnoxious and loud in the middle of the night!” Bora replies, yelling a little louder out of exasperation.

The woman puts her hands up in defeat, seeming to give in.

“Okay, okay. You want an apology?”

Bora blinks. “Yeah?”

“Alright. Come downstairs and I’ll apologize.”

Bora scoffs. “You’re joking, right.”

“Not even a little. I wanna see that pretty face a little closer!” The woman yells again. 

Bora stands straight up, hoping that the mystery woman hadn’t seen the blush creeping up on her cheeks.

“Oh, fuck off.” Bora yells, walking away from the balcony, giving the woman a dismissive wave as she leaves.

“Goodnight, beautiful!” The woman shouts, which causes an even deeper blush to bloom on Bora’s face. 

She absolutely despised this woman. She hated how charming she was, and how difficult it was to walk away, because Bora’s self control was weaning and the thought of a sexy woman whisking her away on her motorcycle was nothing short of dreamy. Bora bites her lip at the thought.

She leaves without acknowledging her again, walking back into her apartment and shutting the sliding door behind her carefully when she notices Siyeon and Yoohyeon, who are hunched over opposite sides of the couch in a dead sleep. Some YouTube video autoplays in the background, and Bora sighs at the pathetic sight of her roommates. She grabs two blankets, covering both of them gently and turning off the TV before she returns to her room.

She gets ready for bed quietly, and as she splashes her face with cold water, the stinging in her palms is hard to ignore. She winces and dries her hands, applying some ointment and hoping for the best. Bora returns to washing her face, and as the water hits her face, she is suddenly reminded of the woman, and her thousand kilowatt smile. Bora exhales and shakes her head, willing the thought out of her mind.

She lays down to sleep, and she cannot stop thinking about that sexy biker chick even a little. Bora wants to hate her, but she can’t. Not when that woman had single-handedly salvaged her terrible day.

…

It’s the next morning, and Bora wakes up feeling refreshed. It's quite early in the day, and she smiles as she feels the sun’s rays warming her. She’s not a morning person by any means, so she cherishes the moments like these when the morning feels like a warm embrace and not a punch to the gut.

_It’s the little wins that count, Bora._ She thinks to herself, getting out of bed and tidying her room a bit, a wide smile making its way onto her face.

She steps out of her room, and notices that Siyeon and Yoohyeon ended up cuddling each other in their sleep, still on the couch. Bora rolls her eyes and smiles, and decides to let them sleep for a while longer.

Bora is in the kitchen now, and she inhales deeply, the scent of maple bacon overwhelming her senses. She felt kind enough to make breakfast for everyone, the other fruits of her labor already placed on the table. Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon (that she was still working on), and strawberries that were cut into little hearts. Sue her, she was in a good mood.

She takes the bacon out of the pan with her tongs, and places them onto a paper towel to soak up the excess grease. Bora walks the plate over to the table, and smiles proudly at the spread of food in front of her. She detours to her roommates now, who are lightly snoring. 

Bora prods Siyeon and Yoohyeon on their shoulders gently.

“Good morning, you drunkards.”

There’s a series of groans and whines, Siyeon pulls the blanket over her head while Yoohyeon blinks her eyes open slowly. The bags under her eyes are dark, and Bora laughs at the sight.

“Don’t laugh…” Yoohyeon trails off in a whine, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles.

“I made breakfast.” Bora announces, and takes her seat at the table. She refuses to wait for them to wake up, because she knows from experience that their hangovers are quite brutal.

She sighs into her first bite of bacon, her eyes squinting into small crescents at the flavor dancing on her tongue. Yoohyeon and Siyeon are mumbling to themselves, and they both shuffle over to the table quietly, still draped in their blankets.

“Cute.” Bora says through a mouthful of food.

Yoohyeon narrows her eyes at Bora, and Siyeon smiles lazily, making her plate of food. Bora notices that she also makes Yoohyeon’s plate for her, and slides it over to the younger woman.

“Thanks.” She says shortly.

Siyeon smiles widely.

“What about me? I’m the one that made all of this!” Bora scoffs.

“Yeah.. Thanks, Bora.” they both respond.

She rolls her eyes and they all continue eating in silence. She sees Siyeon stab at one of the heart shaped strawberries and her eyebrows furrow.

“Why’d you make it into a heart?”

“Dunno.” she answers honestly, “Just felt like it.”

“You get laid or something?” Yoohyeon pipes up, which makes Siyeon roar with laughter.

Bora’s face heats up, and she scoffs. “No! Damn, I just wanted to make something cute and I’m getting harassed over it.” She spits out exasperatedly.

Siyeon hums and eats her strawberry, clearly suppressing a laugh. Bora sighs.

“Just laugh, already.”

Siyeon and Yoohyeon obey, and sputter out matching fits of laughter while Bora angrily stabs at her eggs. It figures the one time she decides to do something nice she gets teased relentlessly for it.

She pouts into another bite, and her roommates are quick to right their mistake.

“Awww widdle Bora so cuuute, so pouty…” Siyeon says, reaching over to pinch her cheek.

Bora can’t even pretend like she hates the attention, wiggling in her seat at the compliments and praise, which makes them all laugh, her sour mood quickly forgotten. 

“Thanks for breakfast though, really!” Siyeon says. “It’s great.”

Yoohyeon nods animatedly as she takes a bite of toast. “Mhm!”

Bora smiles shyly. “Thanks, guys.”

They make quiet conversation for a bit, until a familiar and ear-shattering exhaust pop rings through the living room. 

Dueling anger and thrill pulsate through Bora as she narrows her eyes. She sees looks of concern on Siyeon and Yoohyeon’s face, and they look to Bora.

“What was that?”

Bora sighs, and knows she has to go confront the woman again. “One second.” She says, standing from the table quite abruptly and stalking over to the sliding glass patio door, opening it with a bang.

And lo and behold, the woman is on her bike again, though she continues loudly revving her motorcycle until she spots Bora leaning over the balcony.

“You again?” Bora yells, hoping her voice sounds more exasperated than thrilled.

The woman smirks.

“I’m not talking to you until you come down here and see me!” She says, averting her gaze from Bora and onto her phone, scrolling through it absentmindedly.

“You’re lying.” Bora says, but the woman doesn’t budge even an inch. She weighs her options. She can either go back inside and finish breakfast with her roommates, or hastily get ready and confront the gorgeous woman demanding to see her. Siyeon and Yoohyeon didn’t have a chance in hell.

“Okay. Give me a few minutes.” Bora says, defeated. She squints and notices a smirk tugging at the woman’s lips. 

Bora is back inside now, and her roommates glance at her, confused.

“Are you gonna go down there?” Siyeon asks, alluding to the fact that she had heard them talking. “Who was that?”

“Yeah. And I’ll let you know when I find out!” Bora says with a smirk. She retires to her room, changing quickly and making herself look as presentable as possible. The thought of seeing this mystery woman up close was exhilarating, and Bora’s heart had been pounding in her ears the entire time she had gotten ready.

She bids her roommates a swift goodbye, nearly tripping over herself running out of the apartment. She’s in such a rush that she decides to take the elevator instead of the stairs. The quiet whirr of the elevator’s descent urges her into calmness. She absolutely refuses to let that woman know the effect she’s had on Bora, it would be humiliating, really. 

The elevator doors open slowly, and Bora takes one last deep breath to compose herself, walking out the front doors and taking a sharp left, to the side alley where the woman was. She’s still sitting on her bike, idly tapping at her phone.

Bora stops in her tracks when she sees how gorgeous the woman is up close. Her eyes are surprisingly warm, and her face is a lot softer than she had imagined. There’s something so mesmerizing about the way she’s so commanding of attention yet so soft. It’s intoxicating.

The woman looks up finally, and notices Bora staring at her.

“Like what you see there, huh?” She says, a warm smile spreading over her face.

“Depends. I gotta see how you treat me now that we’re not in shouting distance.” Bora replies simply.

The woman laughs, and waves a hand to beckon Bora over. Her feet move before her mind can process what’s happening, and Bora curses herself at her mindless compliance.

The woman rests her elbows on the bike, supporting her chin with the bottom of her hands as Bora gets closer to her. The woman looks up at her innocently, doe eyes wide.

“So. Who are you?” She asks gently, a warm smile extending across her face.

“I think I should be asking _you_ that first. Do you even live here?” 

“Okay, fair. I’m Minji, and yeah I live on the third floor.” She extends her hand to Bora, offering a handshake. Bora reluctantly accepts, and Minji’s hands are softer than she expected.

“I see. I’m Bora, and assuming you can count the balconies, you know I live on the seventh floor.” The joke gets a giggle out of Minji.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Minji says playfully, rolling her eyes.

“So, what now? Why’d you want me here?” Bora says, not wanting to dance around formalities any further.

“Ah, you’re blunt, hmm?” She smiles. “Well first, I promised you an apology so I _am_ sorry..” Minji says, trailing off. “And second, I promise I won’t do it again, on one condition.”

“Thanks, I guess. But I feel like there shouldn’t _be_ a condition.” Bora says, exasperated.

“I think you might like the condition, though.” Minji offers.

“Which is?”

“You let me take you on a date, right now.”

Bora’s eyes widen.

“I- I” she tries to say something, _anything_ , but words are failing her completely. And to think Minji had the audacity to call _her_ blunt. 

Bora continues to stumble over her words, looking at the ground because she was too petrified to look Minji in the eyes. 

“Hey.” Minji says, her voice devoid of its usual teasing tone. The sweetness in her voice is soothing, and Bora finds the courage to finally look at her again.

“I’m sorry. Was that too much?” Minji says, a regretful look in her eyes. She chews on her lower lip worriedly. “You can forget about it. I'm sorry that was-” Minji says, starting to ramble.

“No, it’s okay.” Bora says, cutting her off. “I want to, I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”

A flash of hope returns to Minji’s eyes.

“Really? Sorry, I’m usually not that forward. You’re just SO pretty and-” Minji’s face morphs into one of horror when she realizes what she says, burying her head in her hands.

Bora laughs shrilly.

“Ah, Minji. Where has that confidence from last night gone?” Bora says, teasing her in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“I don't know!” She squeaks out. Minji lifts her head from her hands, and her lips droop into a pout. Her face is obscenely red, and Bora can’t get over how cute she looks.

“Well, Minji. We can take things a little slow if you want.” 

Minji nods shyly.

“I made breakfast for my roommates, would you like to come in and eat with us?” Bora offers.

Minji smiles widely at her.

“Yeah, I’d love that actually!”

Bora returns her smile, feeling incredibly lightheaded. Was this real? Did her sexy mystery woman happen to be gay, single, and _interested_ in her? And did she just ask her on a date? It seems too good to be true.

“Wait.” The smile is wiped off of Bora’s face.

Minji tilts her head in confusion, a frown masking her features.

“You’re doing this to fuck with me, right? Like you’re not serious.” Bora says, her voice accusatory. 

Minji looks taken aback, and the once playful look behind her eyes dims.

“No, not at all.” She trails off quietly, and stares at the ground while kicking around some dust.

“Really? This is your chance to change your mind, Minji.” Bora says, her voice level. She prays that Minji doesn’t actually take back what she had said, her heart racing thinking about the date Minji was so eager to bring up.

She looks up at Bora, finally. A renewed confidence burns behind her eyes, as if she really wants to prove how serious she is.

“And why would I wanna do that?” She smirks, and saunters over to Bora, who is standing stiff as a board at the sight. “I haven’t even taken you on a date yet, baby.” she drawls out, her index finger lifting Bora’s chin.

Minji laughs when she sees Bora’s cheeks go rosy. “And clearly that’s something you want.” 

Bora gasps and nudges her finger away, frustrated with how easily Minji had gotten a rise out of her. They both know that Minji has her, quite literally, wrapped around her finger, and the thought drives Bora wild.

“I never said that!” She shoots back playfully, a dismissive look on her face.

Minji snorts.

“So, when I asked you out just now, and you were so flustered you couldn’t respond… that was a no? Or when I _actually_ thought you weren’t interested, and apologized, and you reassured me that you DID want to go out with me… that was also a no?”

Bora blinks at her slowly, feeling like she had just been backhanded so hard that every coherent thought had been forced out of her head.

“Do you want to come in for breakfast or not?” 

Minji raises an eyebrow at her, and giggles. “Yes please!”

...

They walk into the building together, and Bora quickly learns that she and Minji actually have a bit in common. They go to the same school, had orientation together (though Bora insists she would have remembered seeing Minji), and they’re in the same year. Minji is a teaching major, though that doesn’t surprise Bora at all. She seems incredibly patient and kind, despite giving Bora a hard time for the majority of their interactions.

They take the elevator up to the seventh floor, much to Bora’s chagrin. She would much rather take the stairs and feel better about making a “healthy” choice, but she gives into Minji’s request when she’s assaulted with puppy eyes at the mere mention of stairs.

They finally reach Bora’s door, and she sighs pointedly.

“I’ll introduce you to my roommates, obviously, but I just wanna let you know they’re a little hungover and not expecting anyone right now. So if you could-” She stops speaking, waving her hands around desperately, hoping Minji understands.

“You want me to be extra nice, then?” She guesses.

“If how you behave with me is any indication, then yes _please_.”

Minji laughs and hits her shoulder lightly.

“I just like giving you a hard time cause it’s funny. I’m not actually mean.” 

Bora exhales deeply and pinches the bridge of her nose, hoping that Minji would be true to her word. She unlocks the door and peeks her head in quietly, and notices that Siyeon and Yoohyeon are on the couch talking, the TV playing quietly in the background.

“You’re back finally?” Yoohyeon questions, craning her head towards the door.

“Yeah. And uh, this is Minji.” Bora says, stepping into her apartment and to the side so Minji could politely wave to the two girls on the couch.

Siyeon’s eyes widen and she starts rapidly hitting Yoohyeon’s thigh to emphasize just how stunning Minji was. Yoohyeon leans forward in shock, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline. Bora is comforted by the fact that her roommates clearly think Minji is as beautiful as she thinks she is, suddenly feeling less embarrassed by how flustered she had been earlier.

“That’s who was making all that noise?!” Siyeon questions, clearly taken aback.

“Oh. Sorry about that! My bike’s been acting up lately, and I’ve been trying to fix it myself which-” Minji pauses to laugh “-is not going well.”

“Oh.” Siyeon says, her wide-eyed glance going back to Yoohyeon, who reciprocates the shock.

“Thanks for having me over!” Minji adds sweetly.

The two girls just nod, and Bora takes the initiative to lead Minji to the table, where Siyeon and Yoohyeon had left the remaining food untouched. 

“It’s probably a little cold now, so you can pick out what you want and I’ll put it in the microwave for you.” Bora says.

“Oh, okay!” Minji says, offering her a sweet smile as she puts a disproportionate amount of bacon onto her plate. She pauses when she gets to the strawberries, noticing that they’re cut into hearts.

“Aww, this is so cute, who knew you had it in ya?” Minji says, sticking out her bottom lip in a cute pout at the sight. Bora quickly wills away the part of her that wants to kiss Minji’s pout away, internally kicking herself.

“I’m cute, sometimes.” Bora says with a shrug.

“You’re cute all the time.” Minij says nonchalantly, returning to arranging her food, and Bora is grateful she’s too busy to notice the furious blush on her face. 

She eventually finishes, and bounces cheerily over to Bora, extending her plate to her with a huge smile. 

“Thank you!”

“Mhm.” Bora says, quickly grabbing her plate and escaping to the kitchen so Minji doesn’t notice how red her face had gotten. 

Minji was confusing, that’s for sure. Undeniably sexy and charming, yet also the most adorable and endearing woman Bora had ever met. She already knows she’s in trouble. Bora waits by the microwave and tries to focus her thoughts on something other than Minji, and in doing so, she doesn’t notice that she had been followed into the kitchen.

“It looks really good, Bora.” Minji says, making her voice a little louder than usual so as not to scare her, but Bora still jumps.

“GOD you scared me!” Bora says, clutching at her chest wildly. “But, thanks!”

The microwave beeps loudly and Bora removes the plate, handing it to Minji, who accepts graciously and smiles widely enough that her eyes form into an endearing eye smile. They walk to the dining table, and sit across from each other. Minji eats slowly, savoring each morsel and letting out small hums after every bite. Bora finds it quite entertaining, and laughs when Minji first tries the bacon, because her eyes seem to roll to the back of her head.

“Good, right?” She laughs.

Minji nods fervently. “Wow, yeah here have some!” She takes an extra piece and holds it out for Bora, who accepts it without a second thought. 

They chew their bacon together, and Minji is just as enthused by every bite as the first one.

“This bacon is better than sex!” Minji says, licking her lips and grabbing another strip. Bora bites her bottom lip to stifle a laugh, and she leans forward towards Minji, suddenly emboldened.

“Not with me, it isn’t.” She whispers, quietly enough so that Siyeon and Yoohyeon can’t hear.

Minji immediately drops the bacon onto the floor, and her jaw goes slack. Bora thoroughly enjoys watching the blush creep up Minji’s face, her first victory of the day. Minji ducks under the table to grab the bacon that she dropped, and when she returns, her lips are twisted into a violent frown.

“Oh will you be quiet! Jeez, you’re crazy.” Minji says, though Bora can tell from the lasting blush on her face that she’s not serious at all. Bora barks out a rough laugh, and her mouth contorts into a grin.

“Believe it or not, I’ve been told that many times.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” Minji says lowly, rolling her eyes and distracting herself with another bite of bacon.

Intrigued by the commotion, Siyeon and Yoohyeon have returned to the table to join in the conversation.

“So Minji, what’s up with your bike?” Siyeon asks.

Minji pauses eating and covers her mouth with her hand as she responds.

“Oh, I had to ride home in the rain from like two hours away, so everything got a little messed up.”

“Two hours? That seems kinda long.” Yoohyeon muses.

Minji visibly shrinks at the mention.

“Yeah, long story. One of the worst days of my life, actually.” She finishes, offering a weak smile.

“And the day you met Bora wasn’t?” Siyeon quips, biting her lower lip to hide the smile that threatens to show.

Bora gasps and swats at Siyeon from across the table, spilling over her water in the process. They all break into raucous laughter, minus Bora of course. She’s mortified at the sight of the rest of Minji’s plate absolutely drowning in the spill.

Bora panics and sprints into the kitchen to grab paper towels, her feet thudding against the floor way too quickly, and she slides into the counter with a loud clang. 

“FUCK!” she yells, which only causes the laughter from the other room to get louder.

Bora, completely defeated, sighs and rips off a large handful of paper towels and trudges back to the dining room, cursing every god she could think of under her breath. When she finally gets sight of the other girls, they’re all doubled over in laughter, and Bora resents the way she can see tears of laughter trailing down Siyeon and Yoohyeon’s faces. At the sight of Bora, Minji immediately stops laughing, her face going red.

“Just laugh already.” Bora says for the second time that day (something she really hates to think about), and Minji obliges and lets out a loud squeak of a laugh.

Bora just hangs her head and tries her best to wipe up the mess, grumbling quietly to herself while she tries her best to ignore Siyeon and Yoohyeon recreating the moment over and over again, driving themselves further into their laughing fit.

“They’re so mean to me, Minji.” Bora says, shooting a pointed glare at them.

“To be fair, it was pretty funny, Bora.” Minji says unabashedly. “And hey, they got a good laugh out of it.”

Bora grumbles again. “I don’t exist to make them laugh!”

Minji makes a noise of mock indignance. “That’s true, but they can’t be that mean if you’re willingly making them breakfast after a bad hangover.” Minji says pointedly, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah!”

“Yup!” Siyeon and Yoohyeon chime in.

Bora looks up and narrows her eyes.

“Hey! Dumb and dumber here are on _thin_ fucking ice! You just get a pass because you’re hot, Minji.” Bora says, a smirk tugging at her lips.

“Yeah, but Siyeon and Yoohyeon are hot too.” Minji says, not missing a beat.

Bora stops in her tracks. Siyeon and Yoohyeon exchange wild glances, clearly caught off-guard at the comment.

“Yeah but I would never date them.” Bora says, rising to the challenge.

“So you would date me?”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to, Bora.”

Bora exhales deeply and screws her eyes shut, opening them to the sight of Minji smiling dazzlingly at her.

“Minji, you are incredibly frustrating.”

Minji just smiles wider, to the point that her cheeks squish her eyes into small eye-smiles.

“Good!”

“You know, I like you Minji. I don’t care what you have to say, Bora, she’s welcome anytime!” Yoohyeon says, an evil grin on her face.

Bora swiftly raises the drenched paper towels in her hand, threatening to throw them at Yoohyeon, who responds with a loud scream.

  
“You’re in for it now, lanky bastard!” Bora yells, going after Yoohyeon with a running start. Yoohyeon stands up instantly and jukes around Bora, and they’re caught in a stalemate, both dancing awkwardly around the ends of the table trying to catch each other.

Yoohyeon ends up sprinting to her right, which Bora immediately counters and catches her instantly, sending them both to the floor with a crash. Bora ends up straddled over Yoohyeon’s torso, dangling the wet paper towel in her face.

“You thirsty, Yooh? I got a nice drink for you right here, you _ass_.” Bora says through laughs, her fingers closing more tightly over the paper towels, which causes water to drip onto the younger girl’s chest. Yoohyeon lets out another scream, this one more desperate as she tries to wiggle out from under Bora.

“Alright, ENOUGH!” Siyeon snaps, stomping over to Bora and picking her up by the underarms like a child, to which Bora starts cursing at her loudly, letting her legs bore through the carpet as she’s being dragged away. Siyeon drops her on the couch carelessly, and returns to Yoohyeon, who is sitting up where she was left, pouting menacingly.

“Si… why is Bora so mean to me…” Yoohyeon pouts.

Siyeon matches her frown. “It’s okay, Yooh. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“THERE’S NOTHING TO CLEAN UP!” Bora shouts from the living room, arms crossed in visible frustration.

Bora is ignored as Siyeon helps Yoohyeon up and back-hugs her all the way into Siyeon’s bedroom, where the door slams loudly.

Minji stands up from the table and traipses over to the couch, sitting incredibly close to Bora, whose face is still screwed into a frustrated pout.

“You’re insane.” Minji says simply.

Bora turns away from her.

“It’s not my fault! She was totally asking for it.” Bora whines.

Minji sighs, and Bora can feel the couch shift as she moves closer. Minji’s lithe fingers wrap around Bora’s arms in an attempt to uncross them.

“Don’t be grumpy…” Minji chides, and her honey-like voice is enough to coax Bora out of her mood. Minji’s fingers slide down Bora’s arms, her manicured nails dragging lightly against her skin. The sensation gives Bora chills, and she evades Minji’s eyes. 

“C’mon. I know how I can make you feel better.” Minji says, her hands returning to her own lap.

“A kiss?” 

Minji laughs.

“No, but I can take you on that date I asked about earlier.”

Bora smiles widely.

“Really? Got any ideas?”

“How do you feel about aquariums?”

“Fish have done nothing wrong to me.” Bora muses. “We should make it interesting though.”

MInji tilts her head. “That isn’t interesting enough for our first date?”

Bora laughs loudly at her response.

“No, I just mean I want an excuse to kiss you at the end.”

Minji blushes, and her lips form into a slight smile.

“Okay. How about if you can keep your hands off of me the entire time, I’ll kiss you on the cheek _once_.”

Bora pouts and stomps her foot, in the midst of a tantrum. She turns to face Minji fully, and gives her a pathetic, pleading look.

“Only _ONE?”_

“I think that’s pretty gracious of me considering we haven’t even gone on the date yet, Bora.” Minji chides.

Without even giving Bora a chance to respond, Minji leans over to Bora and presses her lips gently against the apple of Bora’s cheek, which quickly grew hot at the feeling.

“But since you’re so insufferable, there’s some incentive for you to _behave_.” Minji says, her lips ghosting over Bora’s ear. 

Bora’s eyes go wide and she can only stare at Minji in disbelief, her hand shooting up to her cheek to where Minji had just kissed her. Minji smiles proudly.

“Minji, you really are something else.” Bora says, too shocked to formulate any further coherent thought.

“You’re just easy to read, Bora. Go get ready and I’ll meet you downstairs?” Minji offers with a smile.

Bora nods and escorts Minji to the door, where she leaves with an animated wave and makes her way to the elevator. Bora stares at her longer than she’d like to admit, her fingers still grazing over where Minji’s mauvey lipstick stained her skin.

…

Bora spends as little time as possible getting ready, and rushes out her front door. She slams the door shut and pats her pockets frantically looking for her keys. No luck. So she opens her handbag and rifles through it quickly, finding her keys and jamming them in the lock roughly, twisting just enough to hear the telltale click and she sets off for the stairs. She figures that it would be a good idea to get some of the excess nerves out, so she ends up half-walking, half-jumping down all seven flights. 

She regrets it by the end, where she’s gasping for breath, and curses when she feels how hot her face is. Bora walks to the large wall-sized mirror in the lobby and sighs deeply when she realizes how disheveled she looks. Her hair is glued to her forehead from the sweat, her cheeks are blotchy from the heat, and there's a sheen of sweat glazed over her face. Bora squints and leans closer into the mirror and does her best to fix herself up before she’s interrupted by a soft voice.

“You look good, don’t worry.” Minji says, walking over to Bora with a reassuring smile on her face. “And besides, your hair is bound to get more messed up on my _hog_ anyway.” Minji says, emphasizing the word jokingly.

Bora laughs at her choice of words and her hands drop to her sides, completely forgetting the task at hand. She’s stunned by how naturally disarming Minji is, like she’s an enchantress and Bora’s the unassuming hiker lost in the forest that falls for her charms.

“You’re quite easy on the eyes yourself, sexy lady.” Bora says, her eyebrows wiggling menacingly.

MInji rolls her eyes and giggles, ushering Bora out of the building with a wave of her hand. The two women walk out together and before Bora realizes it, she’s standing awkwardly at the side of Minji’s bike waiting for further instruction.

Minji is perched on her bike, wiping at some of the meters on her dash fixedly, completely unaware of how lost Bora is. 

“Oh hmm, that shouldn’t be-” Minji says under her breath, leaning in further and narrowing her eyes to focus on one of the dials, flicking it with her finger repeatedly. It seems like she’s trying to distract herself, and Bora doesn’t miss the way she’s been chewing on her lip nervously.

Bora clears her throat.

“Minji, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

Minji’s back stiffens immediately and she nearly breaks her neck to look at Bora.

“Oh god, I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous and this stupid bike isnt making anything easier, I’m sorry-” Minji says, rambling and unable to hold eye contact for more than 3 seconds at a time.

A sly smile creeps onto Bora’s face.

“No worries, just tell me what to do and I’ll listen.”

“Something tells me you don’t say that a lot.” Minji quips.

“Yeah, whatever.” Bora says, giving Minji a dismissive wave.

Minji smiles widely at her and grabs a second helmet from one of the bags on the back of her bike. She shoves it towards Bora.

“Here, put this on first.”

“This is gonna look ugly!” Bora says, affronted.

“Did you think I looked ugly in my helmet?”

Bora sucks in an impatient breath and puts it on without another word, knowing damn well Minji looked nothing less than stunning. Minji’s lips quirk into a grin and Bora lets her have her quiet victory.

Minji looks her up and down, her eyes trailing lazily down Bora’s body.

“See, not only do you look cute but you _also_ look hot.”

Bora takes the opportunity to strike a pose, placing both hands on her waist and pulling her elbows as far forward as possible. Minji giggles and makes her fingers into a camera shape, pretending to take pictures as Bora modifies her poses.

“Alright, alright! Don’t wanna inflate your ego too much or your big head is gonna break my helmet.” Minji finally says, lifting her hands up in defeat. 

Bora scowls at her and mocks her, her hand making little hand-puppet gestures as Minji sighs.

“Blah blah, what’s next, sexy?” Bora says, unamused.

Minji pats the seat behind her twice, as if that was explanation enough.

“Hmm?”

“Sit.” Minji says.

“But-”

“Nope, that’s it I promise. Just sit there and you’ll be fine.”

Bora sighs and gingerly steps over the side of the bike and adjusts into the seat with a wiggle.

Minji settles her own helmet on her head now, and clicks the engine into gear with a loud roar. Bora startles at the sound, which wobbles the motorcycle. Minji looks behind at Bora, and grabs her hand with her own, placing it on her stomach. Bora follows her example and brings her other hand over Minji’s stomach, interlocking her fingers. She scoots forward just enough to press herself against Minji, and her body lights on fire at the contact.

Bora’s nerves are going haywire, from the excitement of the new experience and the constant reminder of how close she and Minji were. She lets this nervousness get the better of her, and her mouth works faster than her brain.

“Minji, I’m kinda scared.” She blurts out, barely loud enough to hear over the sputtering of the bike’s engine.

Minji turns to look at her and does her best to make eye contact, her eyes squinting into a reassuring smile to match the shy one on her lips.

“Just hold on, okay? I’ll be extra careful, I got precious cargo today.”

Bora feels a hot rush to her cheeks and she digs her fingers into Minji’s stomach out of shyness. Minji just laughs, and carefully kicks up the kickstand. Bora watches her slender fingers snake around the handlebars as she gently pulls back on one, lurching the bike forward. Bora pulls herself closer into Minji at the feeling, and screws her eyes shut.

“You okay?” Minji says, maneuvering the bike slowly out of the parking lot.

Bora just nods shakily, opening her eyes for a brief moment to see that Minji is about to turn onto the main road.

“You’re safe with me, Bora. I promise.”

Bora absolutely melts upon hearing this, and like magic, the nerves seem to evaporate from her system. Something about Minji, something she can’t exactly place, resonates with her so deeply. She trusts her effortlessly, completely allowing Minji to guide her. She peers over Minji’s shoulder as she’s about to turn, and before she knows it they’re speeding down the familiar streets.

It’s entirely different on a motorcycle, though. The wind tears at her exposed skin, and when she breathes in it’s like her lungs are filled effortlessly, the wind-chilled air invading her senses and clearing her mind. It’s invigorating. She’s used to just staring at these buildings from the inside of the city buses, but with Minji pressed in her front, and the sensation of _youth_ , of just living, being present, it’s life-changing.

For the first time since college started, Bora feels like a teenager should. Free and unencumbered, aside from the butterflies flitting about in her stomach. She feels completely disconnected from the stress of her work and all the other responsibilities weighing her down.

Bora shuts her eyes in pleasure, inhaling deeply and letting another breath of frigid air course through her. She doesn’t even notice that Minji had stopped at a stoplight, only realizing when the wind has stopped clawing at her.

“Fun, right?” Minji says, shouting over the cacophony in the roadway.

“Totally!” Bora replies back, nuzzling her chin into Minji’s shoulder and tightening her grip.

For a fleeting moment, Bora wonders if this is what falling in love feels like.

Bora and Minji ride comfortably on the motorcycle without incident until they reach the aquarium. If Bora’s being honest, she isn’t too eager to stop riding around so soon. 

Minji parks her bike and kicks down the kickstand. She pulls her helmet off unceremoniously, and Bora scoots back and removes her interlaced fingers from Minji’s stomach reluctantly. Bora takes off her own helmet now and tries to fix her hair, smoothing it down roughly.

Minji turns around and Bora is faced with the most dazzling smile she had ever seen. Minji looked positively overjoyed.

“That was so fun, right!”

Minji’s smile is infectious, and before Bora even realizes it, her lips are pulled back into an equally wide grin. Bora steps off of the bike first and waits for Minji to join her.

“ _Insane_ is more like it! Minji, that was unbelievable.”

“I told you you’d be fine, bet you don’t even wanna go in now huh?”

Bora shakes her head gently, to which Minji lets out a loud laugh. Bora smiles at that. Her laugh is unlike any other she had heard before, unapologetic and melodic.

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind for our next date, cutie. You have such a beautiful smile, you know that?” Minji says warmly.

It’s rare for Bora to be completely at a loss of words, yet Minji drags most coherent thought out of her with ease.

“You’re really that confident there’s gonna be a next date?” Bora says, deciding to avoid acknowledging the blush on her cheeks or how flustered Minji’s comment had actually made her.

“I’ll make it happen.” Minji says, smiling at Bora warmly. She pauses to tuck an errant strand of hair behind Bora’s ear. “You ready to go in?” Minji says, tilting her head towards the rather large building in front of them.

Bora nods and they walk to the front together. They walk so closely that their fingers brush together gently, and Bora is overcome with the urge to hold her hand, yet she can’t work up the courage to. And more importantly, Minji’s promise of another kiss lingers at the back of her mind, so she ultimately decides against it. Judging by Minji’s pinky curling on the back of her hand, though, it’s definitely not a one-sided impulse.

They approach the ticket office and get their tickets, Bora offering to buy both. It’s the least she could do after the nearly transcendent ride over, she figures. Minji smiles at her graciously and offers a light thank you before they duck into the door.

The inside of the building is incredibly dim, mostly black aside from the ethereal deep blue glow from the aquarium lights. It looks like alien sunlight, the faux blue rays streaking across the floor are oddly comforting, and the entire ambiance is calming. It’s quiet, and there’s soft wave noises being played over the speakers that mingle quietly with the musings of the aquarium’s patrons.

Bora glances over to Minji, looking up at her slightly. Her blonde locks are tinted a dark blue from the lighting, and Bora can’t help but think about how beautiful she would look in that hair color, or any really.

Minji smiles at her and raises her eyebrows.

“It’s super relaxing, right?”

“Definitely, makes me wanna take a nice long nap over there.” Bora says, waving to the array of short wooden benches lined up in front of the big displays.

“We’ll go there _last_ then, I gotta keep you entertained somehow!” Minji says, affronted.

Bora just smirks.

“I’ll be fine, don’t you worry about me. I’ll have my hands full… NOT having my hands full, if you catch my drift.” Bora says, miming a squeezing motion with both of her hands as she makes a quick glance to Minji’s ass.

Minji gasps and slaps her on the arm, but even in the darkness Bora can see the slight tint on her cheeks. Bora barks out an ear-shattering laugh, which earns her offended glares from a few parents, and Minji hushes her under her breath.

“At this rate you’re gonna have to write a 3 page essay about why you deserve a kiss at the end of this date, Bora. I can’t believe you!”

“Oh come on, it’s funny.”

“Maybe it is.” Minji concedes, and Bora sees a brief smile flash over her lips.

“Anywhere you wanna check out first?” Minji continues.

“Nah, I trust your judgment. Lead the way, Minji.”

Minji and Bora walk to their right, into where there’s a small alcove dedicated to an extensive touch tank. The aquarium is shaped like a long, thin “S” that snakes around various placards and other small tanks. Minji’s face lights up and she skips over to the corner labeled “Moon Jellies.” Bora follows her, making quick glances around to the other sea animals before settling beside Minji. 

The moon jelly tank is nestled in a corner, with a rather sullen-faced teenage employee on the other side of the tank.

“Can we touch these?” Minji says, the excitement evident in her voice. Bora can't help but smile at the bright expression on Minji’s face as she looks at the employee and the tank.

“Yep. Just the tops.” he says unenthusiastically. 

Minji’s smile fades at the interaction, but returns quickly when she gently pokes a finger into the cold water, her long finger ghosting over the top of one of the jellyfish carefully.

Bora glares at the employee, she hates the way that he wiped the smile off of Minji’s face so easily. Anyone that makes Minji feel anything but lively and happy deserves a thorough ass-kicking, Bora thinks.

She narrows her eyes at him once more before leaning over the tank to join Minji in touching the moon jellies. They’re surprisingly soft, and Bora is shocked at the sensation.

“This is so cool.” Bora says, shifting to the other side of Minji to prod at the largest jelly in the small tank.

Bora averts her eyes to look at the employee, a sick grin scrawled on her lips.

“Hey, buddy, what happens if I poke it?”

Minji’s eyes go wide at the mischief in Bora’s tone.

The employee sighs deeply.

“Nothing.”

“Okay cool, I’m gonna poke it then.”

Bora smiles devilishly as she inserts her hand into the tank, the water reaching up to her mid forearm to get in range of the rather large jellyfish. Bora pokes it, and as she does, she feels Minji’s slender fingers prod into her side suddenly, which makes her yelp and withdraw her hand quickly.

Minji laughs loudly, knowing her antics were entirely effective. Bora is angry at first, but quickly gets over it when she notices that the employee is soaked with the water Bora had displaced in her panic. She and Minji exchange a knowing glance and sprint to the next room, giggling loudly as Bora tries to dry her arm off on her own shirt.

“You are so evil.” Minji says between laughs.

“He deserved it!”

“He didn’t do anything!” Minji counters, trying her best to scold Bora, but the smile on her face is incredibly telling of how she actually feels.

“He made you frown! That was enough for him to deserve it.” Bora says with a huff.

“Aww, somebody’s protective, huh?” Minij says, a teasing smirk on her face.

“I just don’t know how anyone could be mean to you! It has to be on the same level, ethically, as like a war crime.” Bora says, her nose scrunching up as she finishes her sentence.

“I disagree, but thank you, that’s very flattering, Bora.” Minji says, accentuating her deadpan with a roll of her eyes and a shy smile. Without wasting any time, Minji grabs onto her wrist and drags her to look at the next exhibit. “But, we have more important matters to discuss. Look at the fishies!” Minji says, overjoyed.

They stop to glance at a rather large reef tank, which was occupied by all kinds of vibrantly colored fish swimming around flowing anemones and corals. It was rather stunning, and Bora was unsure where to look. The aquarium took up the entire wall, and Bora’s eyes flitted around the tank wildly, trying to pick one fish to focus on. She’s inevitably distracted by Minji, who is pressed against the exhibit in awe. One of her hands is palmed over the glass, and the other is making wiggling motions at a small yellow tang that had meandered over to where Minji’s finger was. She was cooing at it rather cutely, making all kinds of baby noises to try and keep the fish’s attention. Bora ends up solely watching Minji and the unbridled joy and amusement blatant on her face. 

Bora can’t help but grin at Minji, who looks like the epitome of sunshine and everything warm in the world as she absolutely beams at the little fish following her finger. It has to be one of the cutest things Bora has ever seen. Minji is completely swept up in her excitement, and doesn’t notice Bora staring at her.

“Bora! Look at this little fishie, she loves me! Look, look!” Minji says, swiping her finger to the side abruptly, and the fish follows her finger. Minji lets out an excited squeal and drags her finger the other way, to which the fish follows her finger again. Her mouth drops into a small “o” and she repeats this over and over again, giggling at the fish’s lazy movements.

Bora’s smile is blinding at this point, and she’s completely content with watching Minji rather than the colorful window of ocean-life in front of her. 

“You got a name for that fish?”

“OH! I didn’t even think of that, good idea!” Minji pauses to think. “What about Skittles?”

Bora lets out a laugh at the name.

“Very cute, Minji.”

“Actually, I should have named it Bora!” Minji says, finally averting her attention away from the tang to look at Bora.

“And why is that?”

“Cause this fish is totally obsessed with me and does whatever I want.” Minji says, a sly smirk forming on her lips.

Bora just shrugs.

“You’re not wrong.”

Minji’s eyes widen and a blush creeps up her neck, and she averts her eyes back to Skittles, who is still just as eager to follow Minji’s finger around.

Bora smiles and she joins Minji, wiggling her index finger in front of the fish, who aimlessly swims between both of them slowly. For some reason, the moment feels incredibly intimate, and Bora is made aware of the very small space between her and Minji. She turns her head to look at Minji, only to find that the woman is smiling at her fondly.

“She’s like our baby!” Minji says, a shy smile on her face.

Bora smiles gently and nods, not wanting to say anything incredibly incriminating or embarrassing. The implication of Minji’s playful comment makes Bora feel lightheaded, she’s so effortlessly wholesome and endearing, and it makes the butterflies in Bora’s stomach erupt into a whirlwind. 

Bora blinks deeply and steps away from the glass to look at Minji. She’s gorgeous, that’s for sure. Bora looks her up and down and takes in her tall figure slowly. Minji seems to notice, and straightens her back and stops leaning on the glass.

“What’re ya lookin at?”

“You.” Bora responds simply, her eyes continuing to wander.

“Why?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“No, but I wouldn’t mind one.”

“Well, you’re stunning. Like, I can’t take my eyes off you, stunning.”

Minji smiles.

“Is that so?” She says, walking over to Bora. She walks enough into Bora’s space so that the shorter woman is pressed against the cold glass of the aquarium, and Bora is thankful the room is empty. Minji places her hand against the glass above Bora’s shoulder, enough to trap her in place. Minji leans in a little closer, and Bora can’t find it in her to make eye contact.

“You flatter me too much, Bora.” Minji drawls, her free hand brushing a piece of hair behind Bora’s ear. “Maybe our little bet was too much, because I wouldn’t mind your hands all over me, right now.” Minji continues.

By this point, Bora is nearly sweating. Her cheeks are on fire, and they burn even hotter when she meets Minji’s eyes, and notices that Minji is focused on taking in Bora’s body. There’s nothing more that Bora wants to do than give in, to put her hands on her waist to pull her in for a searing kiss. But Bora thinks better of herself, she really wants something more with Minji, something concrete and planned out and with _feelings_. She can’t, as much as she wants it.

She settles for a lame joke, inspired by the flash of yellow she sees out of the corner of her eyes.

“Not in front of the _kids,_ Minji!” Bora seethes, slapping Minji on the shoulder lightly, which makes Minji laugh loudly, and the charged atmosphere evaporates instantly.

“You’re right, you’re right. My bad, Skittles!” Minji says, stepping away from Bora and shaking her head in mock disappointment.

“Unbelievable! So inappropriate, Minji.” Bora chides, tsking softly under her breath.

Minji only rolls her eyes, and grabs Bora’s wrist again to drag her to another exhibit. The rest of their visit is uneventful, aside from the loads of cute remarks Minji makes about the fish. If Bora wasn’t absolutely smitten with this woman before their date, she was dead meat, now.

They make their way to the gift shop, where they traipse around aimlessly looking for something to commemorate their first date. Minji suggests that they split up and try to find something for one another, but Bora pouts her way into getting matching, oversized t-shirts for both of them. It doesn’t take much effort to win Minji over, thankfully, and both women end up walking out of the gift shop with beaming smiles.

“You have to send me a picture of you in your shirt, Bora.” Minji says.

“Or you can just come over sometime and we can match and watch a movie?” Bora offers, an earnest smile painting over her lips.

Minji glances over to her, and she matches Bora’s expression.

“Sounds even better.”

They have quite a long walk ahead of them, to where Minji’s bike is parked. They make comfortable conversation, though it has tapered off a bit purely because of how exhausted both girls were. Bora shifts her bag to the hand furthest from Minji, and she purposefully swings her hand closer to Minji’s.

Bora’s been trying her absolute hardest to take her time with Minji, she really would hate to mess anything up. And on top of that, she doesn’t want to risk her only promise of a kiss (even if it's on the cheek), but the impulse to touch Minji, to be close to her, is too overwhelming. So as stubborn as she wants to be, she gives in. 

She grazes her fingers over Minji’s one more time, as if to ask permission. She tilts her head up at her to look at Minji, who is blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact.

_Fuck. I knew I shouldn’t have done that._ Bora thinks, cursing herself internally.

She retracts her hand suddenly and sidesteps a small amount to give Minji some space. Bora stares at the ground languidly as she starts to overthink, the regret and disappointment clouding her thoughts. She’s about to apologize when she feels a sudden tug at her wrist.

Bora looks at Minji again, who as before, refuses to make eye contact. Somehow, her cheeks are even redder and Bora swears she hasn’t blinked in the short amount of time Bora’s been staring at her. 

Minji’s fingers are wrapped around her wrist, and she pulls Bora even closer than before. She slowly slides her fingers down Bora’s wrist and interlocks their fingers gently. Bora can _feel_ how nervous Minji is, so she tightens her fingers around Minji’s and looks back at her to give her a shy smile.

Minji finally looks at Bora, and the relief is written all over her face. She smiles back at Bora, and swings their interlocked hands together playfully. As relentlessly forward as they both are in flirting with each other, this quiet moment of mutual hesitation and shyness is so rewarding. Bora loves the teasing side of Minji, but she thinks she likes her bashful and tentative side even more, somehow. 

Bora can’t focus on anything but the sensation of Minji’s tender hand in her own, the feeling comparable to electricity running through city power lines. Every slight movement, a twitch of a finger, a thumb ghosting on the base of her own, it sends a wave through her, unlike anything she’s ever felt before. Yeah, Bora’s been with women, she’d had a casual relationship in high school, but with Minji’s hand in her own she feels like she’s untouchable, and like nothing would ever hurt her again. 

The power Minji holds over Bora, even now, is terrifying. Not that _Minji_ is at all, Bora is just scared on her own. Vulnerability has never been her strong suit, and after being cheated on in her first relationship, Bora was hesitant to say the least. Her apprehension bleeds into how she sees love, that something is destined to go wrong eventually.

But with Minji, everything seems right.

Bora smiles to herself at the thought, at the hopeful future she can see with Minji, even if that only extends as far into their next date. These two realities duel within her head, the persisting stab that real love is seemingly unattainable, and the urge within her to just let it be, to let things happen as the universe wills it. And for now, Bora is just happy with holding Minji’s hand. 

They walk silently back to the motorcycle, and the sun is hanging low on the horizon. The city is cast in an amber glow-- a stark contrast to the lighting inside the aquarium. Bora steals another glance at Minji and she looks like the living embodiment of honey, dripping with sweetness and warmth. Again, Bora is stunned at how ethereal she looks.

“Minji, you’re so pretty.” She blurts out, shocked at her own words.

Minji looks at her and smiles warmly. 

“So are you, Bora.” she replies simply, squeezing their hands lightly.

They finally have reached the motorcycle, and they wordlessly arrange themselves on it, Minji handing the helmet to Bora again as they put them on in unison and straddle the bike. Bora scoots closer to Minji than earlier, enough to smell her shampoo, which smelled like jasmine. Bora closes her eyes and nuzzles into Minji’s back before placing her fingers on Minji’s stomach again. 

“You ready?”

“I am.” Bora replies quietly. She decides to rub her thumbs gently over Minji’s stomach for the entire ride, trying to show her appreciation in any way she could. 

Bora can tell that Minji is taking her time, too. She notices that Minji is driving a little slower, and that she opts to take the meandering back roads to their apartment rather than the more direct route. She smiles at the thought, that maybe Minji was also desperate for as much time together as she could scrape out.

The sun has sunken lower now, and the sky fades into a few mingling shades of pink, orange, and blue. She’s rarely seen the city look this beautiful, and she takes it in as much as she can, the scent of jasmine invading her senses every now and then. 

…

Bora is jarred awake by the bike halting in Minji’s usual spot in the side alley of the apartment. She surely doesn’t remember falling asleep, and it's just barely getting dark. Her extremities feel heavy, and she doesn’t feel like moving anytime soon, Minji is just too warm. So when the taller woman starts to stand up, Bora just pulls her back onto the bike.

Minji laughs as she sits back on the bike awkwardly.

“What, Bora? Too sleepy to move?”

“Not sleepy.” Bora responds lazily, resting her cheek on Minji’s shoulder, willing her eyes to stay open.

Minji lets out a huff of an exhale.

“C’mon, let’s get you inside, sleepyhead.”

Again, Bora is more than willing to listen to Minji and trust her judgment, so Bora lets Minji take her helmet off and walk with her inside. She insists they take the elevator, and Bora lazily leans against the wall, barely staving off sleep. She feel’s Minji’s eyes on her, and she swears she sees Minji smile at her, but she’s too tired to think much of it. 

Once they reach the seventh floor, Bora is too exhausted to find her keys, so she hands her bag to Minji, who laughs sweetly as she searches for Bora’s keys for her. She eventually ends up unlocking the door and Siyeon and Yoohyeon are cuddled on the couch watching a movie, though it seems they were too occupied with each other to notice the door unlock.

They separate with a startle when they see Minji practically carrying Bora into the apartment, supporting her waist with her arm.

“Is she okay?” Yoohyeon asks, the crack of embarrassment in her voice impossible to miss.

Minji smirks and nods.

  
“Yeah, she fell asleep on the way home so she’s a little cranky.”

Bora makes a muffled sound at hearing this, and scrunches her face up in disapproval.

“I just wanna go back to sleep…” she croaks out.

“I know, I know.” Minji coos, widening her eyes at Siyeon and Yoohyeon as if to ask where Bora’s bedroom is. Thankfully they understand, and just point to the isolated door at the back of the apartment. Minji nods a thank you and walks with Bora back to her room.

Bora is a little more awake now at the familiar surroundings, and Minji closes the door behind them gently.

“Si and Yooh were totally sucking face when we walked in, right?” She asks, her voice husky from exhaustion.

Minji bites her lip like she’s trying not to laugh.

  
“It sure seemed that way.”

Bora sighs and closes her eyes. 

“I have no idea what the fuck is going on with them but I wish they would figure it out so _I_ could have some peace of mind.” Bora admits.

“So they act like a couple all the time but just never do anything about it?”

Bora nods.

“It’s been like this forever, even before we moved in together. And god, somehow it only got worse after the fact.” Bora says, rifling through her drawers for pajamas to change into.

“I’m more shocked they aren’t a couple, actually. They don’t act like friends at all from what I’ve seen.” Minji muses.

“Right? It’s so frustrating, but what do you expect from useless lesbians in love, huh?” 

Minji laughs at that, and sits at the end of Bora’s bed, watching her silently.

Bora is moving slowly, still bogged down from her weird nap on Minji’s motorcycle, and she quietly shuffles to the bathroom to change.

“I’ll be one second, Minji.”

“You can just change in here, I won’t look.”

Somehow, Bora is too tired to argue, so she waves Minji away, who obliges and turns in the other direction. She’s in an oversized shirt and some baggy shorts now, and she sits on her bed beside Minji.

“I’m gonna get going now, then.” Minji says, reaching over to pinch Bora’s cheek. “I had a lot of fun today, Bora.”

Bora smiles lazily and nods. 

“Me too, Minji.” 

Minji stands up gently and Bora impulsively grabs her wrist. Minji looks surprised, if the look on her face was any indication.

“Hmm?”

“I think you forgot about our little bet.” Bora says, a proud smile etched on her face.

  
Minji exhales out a small laugh.

“Alright, alright. Get in bed and I’ll tuck you in.”

Bora’s eyes widen, but she obeys and crawls under the covers and pulls them up to her chin, smiling at Minji expectantly. 

“Ah wait, I need your number, too. There’s some sticky notes on my desk-” Bora says, pointing in the general direction, “-and there has to be a pen somewhere.”

Minji rolls her eyes in response, but wordlessly walks over to Bora’s desk and scribbles something out on the pad of sticky notes and leaves it on the desk. She flips off the light switch on her way back to the bed, and the only light in the room is from the few piercing rays of moonlight that stretch over the length of the room.

Minji bends down to where Bora is cozied in bed, and Bora looks up at her with a shy smile.

“Goodnight, Bora.” Minji says, leaning in slowly. She plants a slow and careful kiss on Bora’s forehead, which makes a small sound in the echoing silence of the room. The kiss sears through Bora like a cigarette being put out, a faint burning lingering where Minji’s lips had been.

“Text me when you wake up.” Minji whispers, and her shyness is incredibly apparent in how quiet her voice is. Bora smiles at that.

“I will, I promise. Goodnight, Minji.”

Bora falls asleep the second Minji closes her bedroom door.

* * *

Bora’s nightmare was brutal. 

She’s out of her own body, watching the all-too-familiar scene go down as an invisible bystander. She’s rooted in place, watching her past girlfriend pinning Bora’s best friend against the wall, lewdly making out with her in the empty chorus room. The sight makes Bora feel like her heart is rotting at thirty times speed, infecting the rest of her body with a numbing coldness. 

It’s not the first time she’s had this nightmare, and she doubts it’ll be the last.

She wrenches her eyes to the door, where she knows she’s about to see _past_ Bora come barreling in with a bouquet of flowers. And then it happens.  
  
The door flies open and Bora’s blinding smile turns into a grimace of disbelief, the flowers dropping to the floor as her girlfriend at the time frantically separates from their mutual friend, her face red from trying to speak so quickly. 

Bora feels the pit in her stomach form just like she did that day, the sensation completely identical and just as painful as the first time. She feels the tears pricking at her eyes and her throat tensing like she’s about to cry, and she awakens with a start.

By the looks of the sunlight creeping up the side of the wall, it's probably a little before noon. She sighs deeply and tries to shake off the dread she feels, grieving the loss of that relationship for what feels like the millionth time. She misses when she thought no one would ever hurt her, and when falling in love was something you waited a lifetime for instead of some kind of sick karmic punishment. Even after all this time, Bora feels broken at the thought of being loved, like she deserved everything that happened. 

She suddenly remembers Minji telling her to text her when she got up, but in all honesty it’s the last thing she wants to do right now. Bora decides to take a shower instead.

She plays some nondescript music, a YouTube meditation playlist she’d heard way too many times. It’s a numbing familiarity, one that brings her some comfort. The water is frigid, and Bora shirks away at the feeling at first before slowly embracing it and taking in a deep breath, fingers raking through her wet and heavy locks. She engages in her usual shower routine, and steps out with a towel wrapped around herself as she goes to look at the sticky note with Minji’s number. 

Her handwriting is neat, and cute. There’s a few doodles of hearts and small shapes all over the note.

“good morning sleepy ;)

XX-XXX-XXXX 

hope you slept well <3”

Bora feels like she’s gonna cry, and she hates that she feels so touched from the message Minji had left. Part of her feels guilty, too, like she had let Minji down by not texting her when she said she would. Bora knows she’s overthinking, but given the shitty night of sleep she had, maybe she should just let it go and be kind to herself for once. She pushes down the dread and insecurity and guilt she had been feeling all morning to go grab her phone.

She saves Minji’s number as “Minji <3” and types out a short message, deleting it and rearranging words for a few minutes before deciding on something short.

“ _morning minji :p i've been up for a bit, just got outta the shower lol_ ”

Bora yelps and throws her phone on her bed, whatever semblance of composure she had leaving her body like a ghost. She paces around for a second, tugging at her hair nervously and she ends up distracting herself by doing her skincare routine. Bora’s halfway through moisturizing when she hears her phone ding, and she sprints to her bed, half of her face covered with a sheen of product. 

She sucks in a nervous gasp as she tenderly picks her phone up. The message is from Minji, as expected.

“ _good morning! how’d you sleep honey_?”

Bora squeals at the term of endearment, a huge smile breaking out on her face as she rereads the message over and over. She finally remembers that she has to respond, but as usual, conversation with Minji is effortless.

“ _not well :( had a really shitty nightmare :/ what about you??_ ”

Minji responds instantaneously.

“ _aww no! that’s not good :( what happened? and i slept okay hehe_ ”

Bora cringes at the thought of her dream and the very real memories it stemmed from. She just wants to move on with her day, so she decides not to tell Minji, yet. 

“ _ahh its nothing, dw about it! and good :p what’re you up to today?_ ”

Bora smiles, and she thinks about how much she wants to see Minji again. Was the day after their first date too soon for another? Bora doesn’t think so, so she adds another text. 

“ _if u aren’t busy… we can always go on another date :o_ ” 

She responds, throwing her phone again and hiding her head in her hands as she waits for another text. Bora is positively shocked at how little she has to wait.

“ _just what i was thinking! got any ideas?_ ”

Bora grins at her response, and she’s glad Minji is just as excited to see her again.

“ _there’s this cute dog cafe i really like! we can sit and talk and stuff and play with some puppies_ ”

Minji responds instantly, again.

“ _yay!! sounds perfect. i’ll meet you downstairs in an hour?_ ”

“ _see you then!! :D_ ”

Bora puts her phone down and begins frantically searching through her closet, too giddy to care about how rough she’s being with her clothes as they swing wildly on the rack. She decides on a tight, off-the-shoulder black top with some jeans. Nothing too crazy, but enough to show her collarbones and neck, some of her favorite features. She checks herself in the mirror one last time before leaving, and opts to take the elevator to avoid the sweaty conundrum that had happened previously.

When she steps out of the elevator, she sees Minji pacing around nervously and wringing her hands together, and from what Bora can tell it looks like she’s talking to herself.

“Am I late?” Bora asks, approaching Minji slowly.

Minji is startled by Bora, and she brings her hands up to her chest out of shock.

“You scared me! And no, you’re perfectly on time!” Minji pauses to look her up and down, and Bora notices the way her eyes stop briefly at her exposed shoulders and neck. “You look… gorgeous.”

Bora’s cheeks heat up at the comment, and her lips slide into a sly smile.

Minji has a loose white t-shirt on, accentuated by a leather jacket and some ripped skinny jeans. Bora thinks her favorite part of the outfit is her round glasses, which are perched on her nose almost haphazardly. 

“You look so cute with glasses, Minji. You’re so pretty.” Bora says shyly, the corner of her lip quirking up slightly when she sees a blush rise to Minji’s full cheeks.

Minji kicks at the floor aimlessly, her hands behind her back.

“You’re making me blush!” Minji pauses, her cheeks even redder than before. “You ready to head out?” Minji says, extending one of her hands for Bora to hold.

Bora practically topples Minji over with how quickly she is at her side, interlacing their fingers hastily and looking up at her with a puppy-like expression. Minji smiles at her, and lowers her head to give Bora a quick kiss on the forehead. Bora squeals at the sensation, her smile widening. She quickly tiptoes to press a kiss to Minji’s cheek, which leaves both women blushing and giddy.

They walk hand in hand to the side alley, engaging in comfortable small-talk until they reach Minji’s bike. It seems routine by now, Minji getting on first and waiting for Bora’s lithe arms to snake around her before they set off. It makes Bora feel at home, she knows her place and exactly what she’s gonna do and who she’s gonna do it with. Minji makes everything feel like that, she realizes. She’s comforting.

Bora and Minji decide that the easiest way to reach the café is to let Bora lead, which Minji settles for reluctantly. Bora compromises by pinky promising Minji that she 1) wouldn’t fall asleep this time, and 2) wouldn’t lead them anywhere stupid. It seemed fair enough.

And so after thoroughly restraining herself from directing Minji to somewhere incredibly inappropriate, they end up at the dog café. Minji holds the door open for Bora who mumbles something about being a gentlewoman, which makes Minji slap her on the shoulder as they walk in together.

Instantly, Bora is assaulted with the loud yips and barks of the dogs. There’s a small holding area at the front of the café to ensure the dogs don't escape, so Bora swings herself over the small gate to properly enter. She holds both of her hands out for Minji to steady herself on as she hops over the wall. Bora knows it was completely unnecessary given the fact that the fence is probably three feet tall at most, but she’ll come up with any excuse to hold Minji’s hands. Bora grins at the way Minji grips onto her for dear life, like she would have fallen without her there.

“Bora, these dogs are SO cute!” Minji says, immediately kneeling down to coo at a small white Pomeranian, who seems to have taken a quick liking to her.

Bora kneels down to join her, inspecting the small tag on the dog’s collar.

“Well it seems Cherry here also finds you cute. And me too, obviously.” She says.

Minji just scoffs at Bora as she continues to ruffle the dog’s light fur. Cherry seems to be completely enamored with Minji, rolling over on her stomach to let Minji pet her even more. The sight makes Bora laugh, and just as with the fish at the aquarium, Minji is too caught up in her joy to even notice that Bora is only focused on her.

Bora feels a tug at her heart when she notices how gentle Minji is with Cherry, that even though the dog is excitedly hopping around and nipping at Minji’s fingers, she carefully moves her hands and redirects Cherry’s attention elsewhere, so as not to encourage a bad biting habit. 

Bora is endlessly shocked by the amount of consideration Minji puts into every minute action, it’s refreshing and she mellows out Bora’s more impulsive and forward-thinking in a way that no one else has. Everything Bora experiences with Minji thus far has felt like second nature, and aside from the times that Minji has flirted so shamelessly that it makes every one of her coherent thoughts evaporate, Bora doesn’t have to think much about any of their interactions. Everything with her is so _easy_. Minji is the breath of fresh air that Bora never knew she needed, but is starting to realize she’s incredibly grateful for.

Bora is filled with immense warmth watching Minji and Cherry, and she’s reluctant to move, but her growling stomach is urging her otherwise.

“I’ll order for us so you two can keep playing, anything you have your eye on?” Bora says sweetly.

Minji finally looks up from Cherry, and her eyes squint into small crescents as she smiles.

“Other than you? Just surprise me.” Minji says.

“O-okay, sure!” Bora says, standing quickly and speed walking to the counter, embarrassed by the deepening blush on her cheeks and the way she had barely stuttered that out. Minji is effortlessly charming, enough to disarm Bora, which is telling in itself.

She ends up ordering a few different pastries, and an iced americano for both of them, hoping that Minji would like it. 

Bora picks a table at the back of the café that’s a little secluded, and sets everything down and beckons Minji over with a wave of her hand. Minji stands up (Bora is shocked by how tall she is), and walks over, Cherry following her over and eventually hopping up into her lap when she sits in the chair across from Bora.

“So I got us iced americanos-”

“My favorite! How’d you know?!” Minji says, a thrilled grin on her face as she reaches for her drink.

Bora matches her smile.

“I also got a bunch of pastries, so feel free to sort through them.” Bora says.

Minji immediately reaches for the fruit tart and munches on it quietly, though a small smile never leaves her face.

“Thanks cutie!” Minji says brightly. She laughs when she sees Bora’s eyes widen at the nickname.

“Of course…” Bora trails off, willing her response to be short so that she doesn’t embarrass herself again.

Minji giggles and she pets Cherry before speaking up again.

“So, what do I need to know about you, Bora? Favorite color, any hobbies, favorite animal?”

Bora laughs at Minji’s enthusiasm.

“Alright, in order: purple, dancing, and elephants. You?”

“Black, fixing my bike, rabbits.”

Bora hums to herself. 

“Very interesting… You’re a walking contradiction, Minji.”

Minji tilts her head.

“How so?”

“You’re incredibly hot and intimidating but then when we’re alone you’re a total sweetheart and a complete baby.”

Minji looks stunned, and Bora thinks she’s never seen her this red before, the blush extending to her neck and the outer reaches of her face. She opens her mouth a couple times, like she’s trying to respond but only ends up drawing a blank.

She eventually responds with a quiet thank you and distracts herself by taking a long sip of her iced coffee.

Bora smirks, it feels nice to finally be the one doing the flustering.

“Are you real, Bora?” Minji finally speaks up. “Like you seem too good to be true, what’s the catch?”

Without thinking, Bora blurts out what’s been on the back of her mind.

“Trust issues, past relationship baggage, insecurity. The usual.” She deadpans, regretting it the second it leaves her lips.

She expected Minji to look uncomfortable at her blatant oversharing, but if anything, there’s a genuine shine of sympathy in her eyes, like she’s willing to listen.

“I mean, we all have that right?” Minji says with a sad smile. She sets down her drink and her hands return to Cherry’s fur. “Remember that one time I told you about how I had to ride home in the rain for hours?”

Bora nods.

“It was because my ex had kicked me out. She had been-” Minji pauses to look for the right word, though Bora can tell she’s holding back, “ _unstable_ , for a while, and she blew up at me and screamed at me to pack my stuff up and leave immediately. Didn’t even give me a chance to get everything I needed, and I had to drive home in the pouring rain for hours. It was super painful and I had blisters and sores for weeks.”

Bora’s face softens and she moves to sit in the seat next to Minji, placing her hands over the woman’s comfortingly.

“That’s really awful, Minji. I’m so sorry.”

Minji doesn’t look up from Cherry, and her expression looks pained. Bora swears she sees a tear drop onto the dog’s fur, but she chooses to ignore it.

“I still hate the rain. It just reminds me of the worst day of my life.” Minji pauses. “And not because I miss her or anything, I really want nothing to do with her. It’s just traumatic, I guess.”

Bora nods. 

“I understand Minji, I do. You really didn’t deserve that, I’m so sorry.” Bora says quietly, holding Minji’s hands in her own and rubbing the back of her hands with her thumbs.

Minji smiles sadly.

“Thanks, Bora. I didn’t wanna bring it up so soon, but it still haunts me. And on top of that, I don’t wanna make you feel like you’re alone in having some shitty experiences.”

Bora nods again, thankful that Minji trusted her enough to share that story.

“Thank you for telling me that, Minji. I know it must not be easy to talk about.” Bora pauses to collect her thoughts. “Remember how I told you about how I had a nightmare last night?”

Minji finally looks up at Bora, and her eyes are red. There’s a few stray tears on her cheeks, and Bora grabs a napkin to dab away at them before she continues speaking. Seeing Minji cry just makes Bora want to shield her from the world. Bora sighs with relief when she notices Minji softens at her touch, glad she could comfort her in some way.

“I- Uh- It was about me walking in on my ex cheating on me. I like, keep having nightmares about it, and I keep reliving it over and over again. It’s awful.”

Minji lets out a small gasp and her hand ghosts over the side of Bora’s face.

“Oh my god, Bora. That’s terrible.”

Bora lets out a weak laugh, shifting her eyes downward.

“Yeah. Having your first and only girlfriend cheat on you with your best friend is extremely fucked up, if you ask me.”

Minji tucks some hair behind Bora’s ear and drags the pad of her thumb across Bora’s jaw gently.

“It is. You deserve so much better…” Minji trails off.

“Sometimes I don’t think so.” Bora responds honestly. “Like I must have done something to deserve that.”

“Why would you say that?” Minji says, possibly the most upset Bora had ever heard her, but even then, it’s more sad than anything.

Bora just shrugs.

“Not sure.” She answers, distracting herself by playing with Cherry.

“Bora, in no way would you ever deserve that happening to you. I hate that she made you feel that way.” Minji says, her eyebrows furrowing like she’s trying to think of what to say. “I know that we’re… going on dates and stuff… but I’ll take it as slow as you need. I wanna prove to you that you deserve better.”

Minji’s reassuring words wash Bora in a wave of relief. She had been so weary about bringing up her past, especially because of how much it still affects her and the lens she views relationships in, but Minji quashes her worries with minimal effort. 

“I’d really appreciate that. It’s hard for me to be vulnerable after that happened, and it means a lot that you’re willing to be patient with me.”

Minji just nods, her hands returning to Bora’s.

“Same for me, too. I’ve never told anyone about that, the rain and my ex stuff. It’s still really upsetting.” Minji admits quietly.

Bora’s fingers tighten around Minji’s.

“We’re going slow for both of our sakes… but I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, Minji.”

“Thank you. And like I said, you’re always safe with me, Bora.”

Again, Bora melts upon hearing that. Of course she’s still hesitant sometimes, but it’s like Minji is able to read her mind and say exactly what will soothe Bora’s errant thoughts. Minji is comforting, and Bora finds herself believing Minji blindly. 

Bora looks up at Minji to find her staring back at her. She’s looking at Bora fondly, and the overwhelming urge to protect Minji she had felt just a few moments prior is reflected in Minji’s own gaze on her. If you asked Bora a week ago if she believed in soulmates, her answer would be a resounding no. But sitting and getting lost in Minji’s company, the hours and hours they spend together seeming like seconds, Bora’s not sure what she would say anymore.

“Did you try the croissant?” Bora blurts out.

The stark shift in mood makes Minji laugh so loudly that Cherry startles and jumps out of her lap. Minji pouts pathetically at the loss, and glances at the small dog, who has already gone off to play with some of the other dogs running around.

“I haven’t, actually.” Minji finally says, reaching across the table to grab the bag of pastries.

She rifles through the bag, shaking it at first to separate the baked goods a bit. She reaches in gently and grabs the croissant, and Bora’s mouth waters at the sight.

“That looks so fucking good…” she trails off.

Minji just smiles, and something flashes in her eyes. She tears off a tiny piece of the pastry and keeps it between her index finger and thumb. Her free hand reaches out to cup the side of Bora’s face, her thumb resting on Bora’s lower lip. Minji presses on it lightly, dragging down her lip to see a sliver of Bora’s teeth.

“Open.” she says, her voice slightly lower than usual. Her pupils are blown out as they steal a glance at Bora’s lips.

Bora finds herself pressing her thighs together almost painfully as she obliges to Minij’s request. She opens her mouth and Minji places the small bit of croissant on her tongue. Minji retracts her hands and Bora chews on the food quietly, unable to keep her eyes in one place for more than a nanosecond. Minji quirks an eyebrow at her and reaches for another piece of the croissant, but Bora shakes her head at the silent question. Maybe it’s the gnawing feeling at the pit of her stomach, but suddenly she’s full.

“How is it?”

“Good.” Bora says, her voice cracking in the middle of her response.

Minji’s lips are twitching wildly as if she’s trying her best not to smile or laugh.

Bora rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, her nose scrunching up in embarrassment. She sees Minji lean forward into her space out of the corner of her eyes.

“Aww… did you get flustered, baby?” Minji whispers, her low tone dripping with amused pride.

Bora is infuriated by the audacity of Minji’s question, and she feels the need to prove that Minji doesn’t have the hold over her that she thinks she does. Bora leans into her space, close enough to her that their lips would brush if either moved.

“You think you wouldn’t be if the roles were reversed? Let’s see.” Bora says, her voice set and even.

Bora blindly grabs the pastry on the table and hastily rips off a large piece. Her hand moves up to grip the sides of Minji’s chin roughly, the pads of her fingers digging into plush skin _just_ enough to prove her point. Bora feels a rush of adrenaline course through her when she sees a blush rise to Minji’s cheeks and it only amplifies when she pulls Minji closer and she gasps.

Minji leans into Bora’s touch obediently and her doe eyes go wide like she’s waiting for Bora’s next move.

“Do I even have to say it?” Bora says, almost mockingly.

Minji says nothing and opens her mouth. Bora pops in the piece of croissant and immediately removes all contact from Minji, leaning back into her own space and acting as if nothing had happened.

There’s a pregnant silence as both women try to process all that had just happened. There’s a minute or so before either speaks.

“You’re hot.” is all Minji says.

Bora laughs so hard that tears blur her vision, and she grips wildly at the table just so she has some purchase in reality. Once she finally recovers, she notices how mortified Minji looks, and she’s nursing her iced americano like a lifeline.

“What’s up?” Bora says, finally.

Minji whips her head around to look at her and her face is scrunched up in some displeased emotion Bora can’t place.

“You’re evil!”

Bora smiles widely and reaches over to pinch her cheek.

“And you are very, very cute.” 

With that, the offended look on Minji’s face fades into one of joy, and she closes her eyes gleefully as if she’s basking in the attention.

“I know.” she replies simply. She grabs another piece of the croissant for herself, and whatever tension that was present just a few minutes prior has dissolved, and it’s back to their usual banter.

They end up talking until the café closes. The conversation flows from childhood stories to future aspirations to their favorite dog breeds and every single topic that could possibly mesh in between. It’s 8 at night, and as the two are being ushered out of the café by the rather exhausted-looking owner, Minji looks at Bora desperately. 

Bora just quirks an eyebrow up at her and takes her hand in her own as they walk to Minji’s bike. They stand awkwardly in front of it, waiting until the café owner has pulled out of the brightly-lit parking lot before speaking.

“Bora, I don’t wanna go home yet.” Minji says, and there’s a pleading sadness in her eyes to match the frown on her lips. Bora feels her eyes linger on Minji's lips for a second, wanting nothing more in the world to kiss away her pout.

“Me neither.” Bora says quietly, her eyes darting from Minji’s eyes to her lips frantically.

Bora notices that Minji is having the same dilemma, and Minji bites her lip like she’s deep in thought. For a second, it looks like Minji is about to lean in and kiss her. Minji seems to snap out of whatever was on her mind, and she rubs the back of her neck awkwardly. Bora does her best to swallow down her disappointment as Minji changes the topic.

“There’s this nice overlook of the city… do you wanna get food and hang out there?” Minji offers.

Bora smiles and nods. At the very least, she’s just glad to spend more time with her. 

“That sounds like fun, Minji.”

Minji starts to move to get on her bike but Bora grabs her wrist to halt her in her tracks, and Minji’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. Bora takes a step closer to her and tiptoes to place a quick kiss on her cheek. Minji smiles brightly at the sensation and brings her hand to her cheek, giggling.

Bora rolls her eyes and slaps her arm gently.

“If I knew you were gonna act that corny I wouldn’t have done anything!” Bora teases with a grin.

Minji says nothing, just pouts and puts her hands on her hips expectantly. She knows Bora too well, that she was more bark than bite.

Bora sighs and presses another kiss to her other cheek, which makes Minji burst into laughter.

“You’re too easy, Bora.”

“Yeah yeah, just drive, Minji.” Bora says, shooing her to the bike with a dismissive wave.

Bora settles comfortably behind Minji, as usual. Just as Minji is about to put her hands on the handlebars, Bora’s fingers snake around her stomach and begin tickling her. Minji yelps loudly and tries to pull Bora’s hands off, to no avail. Bora laughs maniacally as Minji squeals and tries to move away, but she’s effectively trapped by the metal frame of the bike and by Bora’s unbelievable strength. Bora eventually stops when she’s laughing so hard her stomach cramps, and Minji lets out one long huff of indignation.

“Bora you’re the WORST!” Minji whines, her hands protecting her midriff.

“This is nothing, Minji, I promise.” Bora says, poking her side as if to prove her point. 

“How am I gonna drive now? I’m paranoid you’re gonna tickle attack me in the middle of the highway and cause a huge fucking car crash!” She says, scolding her. Though Bora can tell she’s not actually mad.

“Fine! I promise I won’t do it again.” Bora says with a reluctant sigh.

  
“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I promise. Hurry up and drive! I’m starving.” Bora whines.

She returns her hands to Minji’s stomach where she flinches at the contact. Bora rubs the plane of Minji’s abs gently, hoping to soothe her nerves. Bora also presses a soft kiss to Minji’s shoulder, a silent apology for being so relentless.

As Bora promised, the rest of the ride is uneventful, and they end up getting burgers and fries to bring to the overlook Minji had been talking about earlier.

The city is so small from the vantage point, the skyline seems insignificant, dots in the wider landscape splayed out in front of them. Bora thinks it looks like an impressionist piece, the tall buildings she’s used to being dwarfed by reduced to a constellation of yellow and white dots on a pitch black canvas. There’s a few benches dotted around the hilltop, and Minji parks by one and they wordlessly go to sit on it.

“Wow…” is all Bora manages to say as she sits next to Minji.

“Right?”

Minji puts the bag of food between them, and both girls sort through it for their food. They don’t talk much, speaking only to make small comments about the view or some of the dogs at the cafe.

“You want a fry?” Bora asks, looking over at Minji and holding one out to her.

“I have my own, Bora.” Minji says, a playful smile scrawled on her lips.

“Yeah, but mine taste better.” Bora fires back, shoving the fry out to Minji. She laughs and accepts it, chewing on it quietly.

“Yeah, okay. Yours are better.” Minji admits. She holds her palms out as if to ask for another.

Bora rolls her eyes and deposits a few more fries into her palms without a second thought.

“Thank you!” Minji says brightly. Bora’s heart skips a beat at just how _adorable_ she is.

They sit in silence for a bit more, and Bora notices that Minji has started swaying from side to side mindlessly as she eats the last of her food. It’s unbelievably cute. Bora ends up staring at her until she notices.

“Hmm?”

“I’m in such trouble, Minji.” Bora says.

“How so?”

Bora’s eyes widen when she finally realizes what she had said, it was basically a half confession. She scratches at her neck nervously trying to think of what to say.

“I- Uh…” Bora struggles to find the right words. 

Minji just tilts her head, and her eyebrows furrow together.

“It’s nothing.” Bora ends up saying, curling her hands into fists out of sheer frustration with herself.

“It’s okay, Bora. I think I know what you mean.” Minji says quietly.

Minji moves the now-empty bag to the ground, and scoots closer to Bora. Bora feels Minji’s hand settle on the gnarled wood on the bench right behind her. There’s a slight vibration in the wood as Minji taps her fingers nervously on it, her slender digits positioned mere inches away from the side of Bora’s upper thigh.

Bora scoots into Minji’s side, and grabs her anxiously-drumming fingers to place them on her own waist. Minji seems to breathe a sigh of relief, and she pulls Bora closer into her at the feeling. Bora settles the side of her head on Minji, their heads knocking together rather awkwardly as Minji follows her lead. They both giggle and Minji squeezes Bora’s side.

“It’s so beautiful tonight.” Minji muses.

“It is.” Bora says.

Bora reaches over to grab Minji’s free hand, intertwining it with her own and placing it in her lap.

“Do you think we’ll work out?” Minji blurts out.

She nuzzles into Minji’s side again, feeling like she could never be close enough. Bora doesn’t waste a second in replying, her typical lack of filter being further impaired by the feeling of Minji’s warm body encircling her.

“I really hope so.”

Bora plays with the back of Minji’s hand, tracing over the visible veins as they watch the city skyline in front of them. Minji’s hand on her waist is tracing little patterns into her side, methodical and yet completely unaware. Bora finds it incredibly ironic that they both busy their nervous hands similarly, just another weird way they seem to click. 

Bora straightens up a bit to look at Minji.

“Were you gonna kiss me earlier?”

Minji smiles shyly.

“I really wanted to, yeah. I just thought it was too soon.”

Bora licks her lip before darting her eyes to look at Minji’s lips.

“Do you still think it’s too soon?” she says quietly, moving enough to face Minji.

“Just kiss me.” 

And so Bora does. Her hand rests gingerly on the back of her neck, pulling her in gently. Bora closes her eyes and waits for the moment that Minji’s lips are on her own, the sensation hitting her like a twenty ton truck. Minji’s lips are pillowy and soft, and just as quickly as the kiss happens, it’s over. The seeing fireworks cliche compares nothing to what Bora swears feels like three consecutive nuclear bombs being dropped, her heart beating wildly and her face warming in an all-over blush. 

Minji pulls away first, but her hand reaches up to cup the side of Bora’s face. She seems to be out of breath.

“That was…” she says, before Bora cuts her off with another kiss.

Bora practically lunges back into Minji, her lips accepting Bora’s on her own hungrily. Bora feels Minji’s fingers snake into her hair to pull her in harshly, and Bora accidentally bites Minji’s lip out of shock, which elicits a low groan from the older woman. Bora needs to be closer, she can't stand what little distance is between them, and she uses her hands to probe around to feel where Minji’s legs are. When she finds them, she inches closer, and swings her legs over Minji’s lap, settling on top of her clumsily as she continues to kiss her. Bora’s hands run over the expanse of Minji’s back, and she has to try her hardest to suppress a moan when she feels how supple and strong her muscles were.

Bora pulls away to suck in a quick breath.

“Minji, _fuck_.” She hisses out before capturing Minji’s lips again. Minji’s hands have settled harshly on Bora’s waist, her fingers digging into her side almost painfully, but Bora is too distracted to complain. Minji bites down hard on Bora’s lower lip and drags her waist down into her lap, and Bora breaks the kiss to let out a low moan.

Hearing that seems to shock Minji, and her grip lightens and she pulls away from Bora suddenly. Her breathing is ragged, and even in the darkness Bora can see how wide her pupils are.

“Sorry I- I just wouldn’t wanna stop if we kept going.” Minji says, averting eye contact as a vibrant blush tints her cheeks.

Bora smiles widely and plants a quick kiss to her forehead.

“Yeah, I get it. That was..” Bora says, echoing Minji’s earlier statement.

“Amazing?” Minji finishes for her. “That’s what I was _gonna_ say before someone-” she pauses to pinch Bora’s cheek, “-interrupted me.”

Bora smiles proudly. “For some reason I don’t think you’re too upset about that though.”

Minji rolls her eyes and pulls in Bora for a quick kiss. “You talk too much.”

“Oh is that so? I talk too much? I ramble on and on-” Bora says, and is thrilled when Minji shuts her up with yet another kiss. This one starts quick, but slowly deepens, and Bora’s stomach flips when she realizes how much emotion Minji is pouring into the kiss. They both pull away slowly, and Minji’s eyes are fond and warm. Minji smiles at her and buries her head in Bora’s chest, like she’s exhausted. Bora wraps her up in a hug and sways them together. 

They stay like this for a few minutes, Bora rubbing Minji’s back, closing her eyes and taking in the smell of jasmine. Bora loves the way she can feel Minji inhaling and exhaling against her, both women being lulled into an enveloping state of calm by the other’s quiet breathing.

Minji pulls away from Bora gently, and gives her an apologetic glance.

“I’m sorry, Bora.”

Before Bora can even think about what Minji would possibly be apologizing for, she feels Minji’s hands on her waist again, and Minji starts tickling her with the fury of a thousand hellfires. Bora screams bloody murder and tries to stand up, but Minji pulls her back onto her lap to ensure her revenge. Bora wriggles wildly in an attempt to escape, but Minji doesn’t let up at all.

“MINJI PLEASEEEEEEE!” Bora screams, resorting to hitting her on the shoulders with balled up fists.

Minji finally gives up after she’s laughed so hard that her resolve and muscles weaken, and she steadies herself on the bench with her hands behind her as Bora stares angrily down at her from her lap.

“You suck.”

Minji just rolls her eyes and tilts her head back.

“You had it coming!”

“Fine. Justify it all you want, I _refuse_ to kiss you now.” Bora says with a huff.

Minji sits up immediately, clearly offended.

“Take that back!”

Bora just shakes her head, crossing her arms to accentuate her stubbornness.

Minji leans closer to Bora again and takes her hands in her own. Minji puts on the most convincing and _pathetic_ pair of puppy eyes that she can manage, which is topped off with an incredibly sad pout.

“Pleaseeeee…” Minji trails off.

Bora screws her eyes shut so she doesn’t fall victim to Minji’s pleading. Bora knows how weak her resolve is, and now that they've actually kissed she doesn’t trust herself not to impulsively kiss away Minji’s frown.

“Baby, look at me!” Minji whines, squeezing Bora’s hands in her own.

Bora finally gives in at the nickname, and when she opens her eyes she sees Minji frantically switch her amused face back into a pleading one. Bora gasps and points a finger directly in her face.

“You were _LYING_!” Bora says, and by now Minji is full-on laughing.

Minji wraps her arms around Bora and pulls her close, much to Bora’s faux reluctance. 

“Oh please, Bora, I don’t know how I could go on living without another kiss from you! I’d surely die.” Minji teases, her tone reminiscent of a daytime soap opera actress.

Bora sighs deeply, which only makes Minji laugh harder. Minji pulls away to look at Bora, and the second Bora sees her beaming smile, the kind that makes her eyes squish into cute half moons, Bora loses all self-control and smiles with her. 

Bora leans into Minji and kisses her softly, her hands reaching up to cup Minji’s face. It’s a short kiss, but one that makes her entire face tingle with errant excitement.

“All better now? Wouldn’t want you dying on me.” 

“Oh, of course.” Minji says, nodding fervently. “I’m _much_ better now.”

“Thought so, you big baby.” Bora says with a roll of her eyes, though she can’t stop the wide smile on her face.

Minji slaps her shoulder lightly.

“You’re annoying.” Minji deadpans. “I can’t ever win with you!”

“Exactly the point, I like to keep you on your toes, sexy.” Bora smirks.

Minji just rolls her eyes. Her hands settle on Bora’s waist, where she aimlessly hooks her fingers in the belt loops of Bora’s pants, pulling them every once in a while. Bora busies herself by carding her fingers through Minji’s hair gently. It’s a nice, quiet moment that Bora hopes will last forever.

“Bora, I know we wanted to go slow-” Minji pauses to look up at Bora. “-and we will, but I just wanna let you know that no one has ever made me feel this way before.”

Minji maintains eye contact while Bora replays those words over and over. She felt the same way, of course, but it’s just hard to think straight while you’re sitting in the lap of, objectively, the hottest girl on the planet.

Bora opens her mouth tentatively, and furrows her eyebrows, trying to think of exactly the right thing to say.

“You make things not seem scary, Minji. And that’s saying a lot.” Bora says. 

Minji smiles shyly up at her, she’s about to speak when Bora puts a finger up to her mouth to shush her. Minji just kisses her finger, and pulls her hand down to intertwine them. It sends a rush through Bora, and her heart beats even faster than it had been.

“I really want to be with you.” Bora admits, and she smiles when she sees the way Minji perks up. “I hope that doesn’t sound crazy cause I know we’ve only known each other for like three days and we talked so much about going slow but-”

Bora is cut off by a slow and gentle kiss. Minji cards her fingers through Bora’s hair gently as their lips move against each other, lazy and mindless. Minji separates first, and they press their foreheads together, warm breaths intermingling in the small space between them.

“-but slow is a relative term, right?” Bora finally finishes. 

“It totally is. If it feels right, it feels right.” Minji says, pulling back to look at Bora more clearly. “I think we should give it some time yet, but I feel the same way.”

Bora grins at Minji, and Minji mirrors her. Minji glances up at Bora and her eyebrow quirks.

“Wait. You’ve been straddling me this whole time, don’t your legs hurt?”

Bora shakes her head. “Dancer, remember?”

Minji nods. “Ahh, right.” Her eyes go wide. “Wait fuck, what time is it? I have class super early tomorrow.”

Bora pulls her phone out of her back pocket, the screen blinding her temporarily. 

“Fuck, why is that so bright? And-” she squints to turn down the brightness so she can see what time it is, “it’s 12:34, babe.”

Minji’s lips tug into a wide smile at the term of endearment, which quickly disappears when she realizes what Bora had said.

“ _Fuck_ , I’m sorry Bora but we have to go, I need to get some sleep.” Minji says, the disappointment and frustration evident in her voice.

“Of course, Minji.”

Bora clambers off of her lap, and bends down in a squat, her back facing Minji.

“Bora, what are-”

“NOPE! Shush. Just get on.” Bora says, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“Like a piggyback ride?” 

“Yup. Hurry up!” Bora says, backing up a little so Minji can ready herself.

Bora feels Minji’s tentative hands on her back, like she’s unsure of how to proceed. She eventually climbs on slowly, and Bora pulls her legs into her, steadying her grip. Minji’s arms wrap around Bora’s neck, and once she seems settled, Bora jogs as fast as she can. She twirls around in a circle, jukes around, and then comes to a startling halt when they reach Minji’s motorcycle. Minji is nearly in tears when Bora lets her down gently, and Bora ripples with pride at seeing how hard Minji was laughing.

“See? Fun.” Bora says simply, trying to catch her breath after that massive burst of energy. 

“Definitely.” Minji agrees. “Now let’s get you home safe, weirdo.”

* * *

Bora puts up a herculean effort trying not to doze off as she clings to Minji, coasting through the nearly silent country streets. Her eyes get heavier and heavier and it seems like they’re still so far away from their apartment complex. Her eyes drift closed, for just a second, and Bora is stirred by the lulling hum of the motorcycle tapering off as Minji pulls over in the empty street.

“Bora, are you awake?” Minji says, craning her head around to look at Bora as best she could.

“Barely.” Bora says honestly.

Minji smirks. 

“There’s no one on the road. Wanna do something stupid?”

Bora quirks her eyebrow, a huge grin playing over her features.

“Do you even have to ask?”

Minji just smiles, and Bora grips her stomach tight. 

There’s a long expanse of straight road ahead that’s surrounded on both sides by long grass, the few lights along the side of the road sparse. It’s eerie and quiet, and Bora half expects to be torn in half by a cryptid the longer they stay still. The odd sense of dread creeps up in Bora even further when the sounds of cicadas become noisier.

She taps her fingers on Minji’s abs, urging her to hurry.

“You holding on tight?” Minji says, and Bora watches her knuckles go white around the handlebars.

“Yup.” Bora says, her eyes darting around nervously.

“Alright, here we go!” Minji says, nearly squealing.

She navigates the bike off of the shoulder of the road, and steadies the bike in the lane, the empty expanse of road stretching on endlessly. Without warning, Minji revs the motorcycle loudly, and with a loud squeal of rubber on asphalt, the bike launches forward.

Bora squeezes onto Minji tightly, and they’re speeding down the road unbelievably fast, Bora glances at the speedometer and the little arm ticks past 100, past 120, and settles at 130 miles per hour, the lever ticking wildly at its top speed. Bora holds onto Minji tightly, and a wide smile settles on her face.

Bora thinks about it again, and this is definitely what falling in love feels like.

The wind whips at them cruelly, and Bora feels like she's in a sensory deprivation chamber, the already dark landscape marred by the blur of speed, and the loudness of the air streaking past is enough to deafen any outside noise. It’s incredibly scary, but she trusts Minji enough that it's _fun._ The only thing grounding her to reality is the feeling of Minji in her arms as she clings on for dear life, a wide smile scrawled on her lips.

It’s what Bora thinks love should be, letting go of your inhibitions so fully that the adrenaline rush from the very real threat of sudden death can’t eclipse the beating of your heart. 

After a minute or so of maintaining the incredibly high speed, Minji’s hand lays off of the accelerator, and she lets the bike naturally coast down to a tolerable acceleration. By now, the city is in sight, and all of the sleep that was bogging Bora down earlier is gone, she’s more awake than ever.

It’s too loud to speak, so Bora settles for taking away one of her hands from Minji’s midriff, moving it to rest on her back, rubbing gently. She smiles when Minji relaxes into her touch, her shoulders visibly going slack. Bora ends up doing this for the entirety of the ride home.

It’s probably 45 more minutes before they’re riding into their apartment’s parking lot, which means it's somewhere around two in the morning.

Bora does her best to stow her helmet and gather her belongings quickly, not wanting to keep Minji awake any longer.

“You are so much fun, Minji.” Bora says.

Minji is busy making sure her bike is ready to be left for the night, tucking things away in the side bags carelessly. Bora notices a small grin form on her face.

“You sound like you’re surprised.” Minji says, her voice a little husky from exhaustion.

The sound of her lowered voice makes Bora feel like she’s just swallowed a rock, a gnawing at her stomach forming the more she lets her mind wander.

Bora hums.

“I just didn’t expect that little speed racer stunt from you, that’s all.”

“But it kept you awake, huh?”

Bora lifts her eyebrows and shrugs.

“That can’t be the only reason you did that.”

Minji shakes her head and smiles.

“Oh, of course not. I just like getting you all riled up, and I knew that would do the job.” She pauses to set her helmet down. “And besides, I’ve never done that and always wanted to.”

Bora just nods, and holds her hand out for Minji to join her. Minji’s hand finds hers instantly, fingers meshing together effortlessly. Minji presses a quick kiss to the side of Bora’s head, and Bora looks up at her with a warm smile, noticing a slight blush on Minji’s face. 

They walk to the elevator in silence, and Bora is about to push the button for the third floor when Minji grabs her wrist harshly, pulling it back. Bora shoots her an offended glance, an eyebrow shooting up out of curiosity. Minji clears her throat and pushes the button for the fifteenth floor.

“Minji, what the hell?” Bora says, confusion muddling her voice.

The doors close smoothly and Bora looks at Minji. Her pupils are dark and her line of sight seems to be trained on Bora’s neck. Bora furrows her brows and tilts her head, thoroughly confused by what Minji is doing.

“Can I do something stupid?” Minji says, it seems urgent and rushed.

Bora just nods hesitantly.

Before she realizes what’s happening, Minji has picked her up and pinned her against the wall, and Bora wraps her legs around Minji’s waist to support herself.

Minji’s lips ghost over Bora’s pulse point, a silent way of asking permission.

“You aren’t mine yet, so this’ll have to do.” Minji purrs.

  
She bites at Bora’s neck gently, and begins sucking and lapping at her pulse point lewdly, loud smacking of lips against skin echoing off of the walls of the elevator. Bora roots her fingers in Minji’s hair desperately, feeling incredibly weak at the sensation and at watching Minji in the reflection of the mirrored elevator walls. She gasps when Minji leaves one final and harsh bite on the now purpling mark.

“Fuck.” Bora whimpers, tightening her legs.

Minji pulls away from her neck to kiss her, and Bora pulls her in needily, craving some kind of softness to compensate for the aching on her neck. Minji, intuitively, is gentle with her, their lips moving together softly. The elevator slows as they approach the fifteenth floor, and before Minji puts her down, she leaves a feather-light kiss of an apology on the unsightly hickey on Bora’s neck.

Minji sets her down gently, and steps away to give her some space before the doors open to an empty hallway. Bora blinks slowly out at the sight, and waits for Minji to press the buttons for the seventh and third floors. She hesitantly turns to look at Minji, whose hair is ruffled, and she touts smudges of Bora’s lipstick at the corners of her mouth.

Bora laughs at the sight and steps back into Minji’s personal space, wiping away the makeup as best she could.

“Was that stupid?” Minji asks, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“No, but you are.” Bora quips, punching her arm. 

Minji gasps and rubs where Bora had hit her, though the blinding smile on her face seems to be telling in itself.

“You liked it though.” Minji says, pushing her luck.

Bora refuses to let Minji win. When the elevator doors close, she hurriedly pins Minji against the wall with her body, grabbing Minji’s chin forcefully and pulling it to the side so she has access to her ear.

“If I liked it, this is what you would have heard.” Bora hisses out.

Bora’s lips linger over the shell of Minji’s ear, and she lets out a low and heady moan. Minji’s knees buckle, and she has to quickly grasp at the handrail on the wall to steady herself.

Bora steps back, letting go of Minji’s jaw to bark out a laugh at her.

“Pathetic.” Bora says, looking Minji up and down. Her expression gives away her shock, and Bora feels quite accomplished watching her face grow more and more red as Bora stands and scrutinizes her.

Minji finally straightens up, and bites her lip.

“That was… pretty cool.” Minji says meekly, continuing to chew on her lip.

Bora laughs again.

“I just moaned in your ear and you got so flustered your legs gave out, and all you say is that it’s _cool_?” Bora says, awestruck. 

Minji just shrugs, and a bright smile forms on her lips.

  
“It was cool.” She repeats.

Bora takes Minji’s hands in her own and tiptoes to peck her on the lips.

“You’re so cute, Minji.”

Minji flushes at the contact and smiles brightly. She rolls her eyes and shrugs.

“I mean, yeah.”

Bora scoffs and rolls her eyes, though she can’t help but smile. 

The elevator doors open at the seventh floor, and Bora and Minji exchange a glance before locking hands and walking towards Bora’s apartment. They swing their hands together wildly, giggling at the other making the swing increasingly more obnoxious. The two women reach Bora’s front door, and Bora begins fishing for her keys in her purse for the umpteenth time.

“You really need a better keyring, or something.” Minji says, almost scoldingly. 

Bora looks up, narrowing her eyes at Minji.

“And why is that?”

“Because you spend a half hour outside looking for your keys _every_ single time you get home.”

Bora’s jaw goes slack, hurt at the entirely true observation.

“So…” Bora says, her lips forming into a pout.

Minji smiles and leans in to kiss away the frown, instantly melting it away.

“So.. maybe I’ll get you a better one.” Minji says quietly, before placing a kiss on the tip of Bora’s nose. If they hadn’t still been in the hallway, Bora thinks she probably would have squealed.

“You don’t have to…” Bora says shyly, still fawning over Minji.

Bora returns to looking around for her keys, and Minji leans in while she’s distracted.

“I mean, we might be in a rush to get inside. It’s for both of us.” Minji says in a whisper, drawing out the words slowly.

“GOT ‘EM! I found them. My keys.” Bora says, an intense heat pooling in her cheeks. She presents them to Minji with a forced smile. Minji laughs and as Bora is about to put a key in the keyhole, she stops.

Bora leans into the door, her ear pressed to the cold wooden frame. 

_Is that..?_

Bora waves Minji over urgently, and her ear is pressed to the door now. She makes an affronted but silent gasp at Bora, who is nodding fervently back at her.

There was the unmistakable sound of loud, smacking kiss noises and groans coming from the other side of the door.

“ _Oh my god.”_ Bora hisses out, “They’re totally making out right now…”

Minji covers her mouth like she’s trying not to laugh.

“We _have_ to scare the shit outta them!” Minji says quietly, her eyes flashing with mischief.

Bora grins evilly, nodding in agreement.

“Okay, I’m gonna be as quiet as possible unlocking the door, and then I’ll count from 3 and we _smash_ this fucking door open. Sound good?” 

Minji nods and her eyebrows raise in anticipation. 

“Alright-” Bora puts the key in the lock, turning as slowly as possible, “3...2...1…”

Bora pushes the key just enough for the tumbler to slide open, and she opens the door with an ear-shattering crash. The lights in the apartment are off, aside from the light in the stove hood. Bora squints her eyes to see a shocked and hair-tousled Yoohyeon get absolutely _launched_ out of Siyeon’s lap from where she sat on the couch. She lets out a loud yelp and Siyeon gasps, immediately crawling on the floor to make sure she was okay.

“BABY!” Siyeon squeals, hovering over Yoohyeon, who is doubled in two, loudly laughing from the floor.

Bora and Minji exchange a quick glance before entering the apartment and closing the door behind them.

“So what did I walk into here, roomies?” Bora says, in an accusatory but ultimately amused tone.

Siyeon and Yoohyeon finally seem to realize what had happened, and they both look at Minji and Bora like deer caught in headlights. They sigh in unison, and blink slowly at both women, their eyes moving slowly like they’re assessing the level of danger in the room. Neither has moved from the floor, and both sit cross-legged.

“Well…” Yoohyeon begins.

“Don’t say anything stupid, either, cause this is like the second time we’ve caught you guys.” Bora says.

“We.. uh…” Yoohyeon says again.

Siyeon looks like a ghost, all of the color having drained from her face as she looks desperately at Yoohyeon. From what Bora can tell, it seems like Siyeon is just as eagerly awaiting her answer as the other women in the room.

“We hook up. Obviously.” she says, pausing to dart her eyes over to Siyeon. “But-”

“But!” Siyeon interrupts, clearly insulted.

Yoohyeon shoots her a withering glance.

“Let me finish! But I think we’re probably more like, girlfriends, or something.” Yoohyeon says, her confidence waning the more she spoke.

Siyeon looks thrilled, her goofy smile reminiscent of the potential fathers on Maury that had just been told they aren’t the baby daddy. Bora sees the exact same relief and joy wash over Siyeon’s face, and she half expects her to take a victory lap around the apartment. 

“YAY!” Siyeon yelps, tackling Yoohyeon onto the carpet, where they had been sitting.

Yoohyeon just laughs with her. It’s a very cute moment, but Bora and Minji look at each other uncomfortably, feeling like they shouldn’t be present for this.

“Alright well… me and Minji are gonna go…” Bora says, though she goes completely ignored, Siyeon and Yoohyeon are too busy giggling to themselves from the living room floor.

Bora and Minji end up having to sidestep around the happy couple to get to her room, Bora making a fake vomit noise in the process, which earns a slap on the arm from Minji.

They get to Bora’s room and she closes the door quietly behind them. She turns on her lamp and sets her things down, and Minji stands in the corner, watching her..

“That was… interesting.” Minji says.

“Oh definitely, I think we can all relax now that they’ve stopped being so dense.” Bora says, turning around to give an annoyed look at Minji, who laughs.

Minji sets her things on the floor and sits at the edge of Bora’s bed, which creaks under her weight.

“Hey, who said you can sit there?” Bora teases.

Minji huffs and narrows her eyes.

“Oh, I’ll just leave then.” She says, halfway standing until Bora pushes her back down.

“NO!” Bora says, a little too quickly. She’s embarrassed at how badly she doesn’t want Minji to leave, knowing fully well that she has to.

Minji smiles sadly at her.

“Baby, it would be way too soon for me to spend the night.”

Bora sighs. “I know, but I wanna-” she stops, too embarrassed to finish.

Minji picks up on the hesitation immediately, smirking.

“What, you want me to cuddle you?”

Bora frowns, her cheeks going red.

“Maybe…”

“Aww you don’t have to be shy, I would love to.” Minji says, her cheeks tinting a rosy pink. “Why don’t you get ready for bed and I’ll wait for you.”

Bora is about to agree when she remembers Minji’s class the next morning. She gasps and slaps the older woman on the shoulder.

“Minji! You have your class tomorrow!” Bora says, affronted.

Minji just gives her a lazy smile and a dismissive hand wave. 

“I already decided I’m gonna skip. No big deal, one class won’t hurt.”

“ _One class won’t hurt_ -” Bora mocks, “-that’s a slippery slope and you _know_ it! Promise me this is the last time you’ll skip for me.” Bora says, feeling guilty.

Minji rolls her eyes.

“Wow, we aren’t even dating yet and you’re already telling me what to do…” Minji tsks.

“It’s for your own good! You shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything for me.”

  
“But what if I want to?”

“You are so…” Bora says, searching for the right word to describe the dueling frustration, giddiness, and excitement all mingling in her chest.

“Stubborn? Annoying? Persistent? Sounds a _lot_ like someone I know, name rhymes with Sbora…” Minji says, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.

Bora just sighs and shakes her head, defeated.

“Okay, okay I get it. I’m getting ready.”

She rifles through her drawers for pajamas and ends up pulling out two oversized shirts, tossing one to Minji, who is not expecting it and ends up getting a face-full of fabric.

“What was that for!?”

“I think we both know you’re just gonna end up sleeping here so you should be comfortable at the very least.” Bora says.

“Hey, no I’m not-” Minji says, about to give the shirt back to Bora, who’s making a beeline to the bathroom to change, refusing to take no for an answer.

She makes it into the bathroom successfully avoiding Minji, who she can tell is on the other side of the door.

“I’m not staying!” Minji whines, knocking at the door pathetically.

Bora laughs, and hits the door once, loudly.

“Nope. Like you said, I’m stubborn, annoying, persistent, insufferable. I could start a dictionary, I think. Just let me know when I can come out again.”

Minji sighs, and Bora hears her walk away from the door. She smiles to herself as she changes, thrilled that her last-ditch plan had worked. She’s about to reach for the handle to leave when she remembers Minji is probably changing. She pauses.

“Minj, can I come out?”

“Mhm!” She hears, muffled through the door.

Bora exits, and Minji is laying on her bed, back against the headboard. Her hair is a little tousled, and she smiles at Bora lazily. She feels her heart skip a beat at the sight, Minji looking so relaxed and _domestic_. Something connects between Bora’s brain and her heart, a lurching feeling that she doesn’t want to discover the origins of. 

“Hmm?” Minji finally says, tilting her head. “And Minj, that’s cute. I like that.” She smiles softly.

Bora is frozen in place. She knew she was in deep, but not Mariana Trench deep. She still hasn’t said anything, and nothing in her body cooperates with her as she silently stares at Minji, her heart hammering out of her chest and her palms getting sweaty.

“Bora? Are you okay?” Minji says, and her voice is full of concern. 

Somehow, Minji’s genuine worry makes it worse, and Bora feels like she’s about to throw up, her face draining of color. She closes the bathroom door with a slam and crumbles to the floor, crawling over to the toilet and hanging her head over the rim while she dry heaves.

It’s all hitting her now. Everything flashes back to her suddenly, the music room, the image of her ex and former best friend, the way she ran so hard to the bathroom that she couldn’t breathe, and here she was again, hyperventilating over the toilet bowl like a sick dog, just like the day it had happened.

  
She can’t do this. She can’t. It’s too much, and the thought of being with Minji, of maybe even loving her, feels like being buried alive by liquid concrete. She feels it tightening around her chest, and it’s hard to gasp in a breath nonetheless form a coherent thought.

She just wants to be alone.

Minji knocks on the door softly.

“Bora?” Her voice seems wearier.

It makes Bora _sick_. The last thing in the world she wants is to get hurt, and here she was, her stupid memories and insecurities bubbling up so fiercely that even Minji’s being affected. They can’t do this.

“I’m fine.” Bora snaps. “Please, just leave me alone.”

There’s a permeating and stabbing silence.

“Do you want me to go for the night?” Minji says, her voice even and devoid of emotion.

“Yeah.” Bora says, the guilt already creeping up on her.

“Alright. Goodnight, Bora. Text me if you need anything.” Minji says, and though Bora can’t see her, she can tell she’s upset by the way her words wavered.

  
She hears padding of feet around her room, and when the door opens and closes, Bora lets out a loud sob, her stomach bubbling with agony and hurt. Why can’t any of this be easy? Why does getting close to someone that clearly cares about her so mortifying?

Bora sobs loudly, shaking as she continues to dry heave, her body seeming to reject any stability it had, mentally and physically. The tile is shockingly cold, and Bora feels alien in her own body, like none of this is real or happening.

And the worst part is that all she wants is Minji to be here with her.

Bora grimaces as she thinks about it, how her brain and heart have finally gotten on the same page, and instead of feeling excited about her feelings for Minji, she feels _ill._ Her emotions like a house of cards, and the realization of it all the gust of wind to send the cards adrift, the structure folding in on itself and collapsing.

She hates herself for it, that she finally found someone who made her feel safe, and she wants to throw it all away before anything happens. Maybe she just needs some space.

Bora wipes at her eyes pathetically, though it does nothing because of just how soaked her face is in tears. She sighs and stands up weakly, her legs nearly giving out at just how hard she had cried. She walks over to the door slowly, opening it to find her shirt folded nicely on the bed, with a sticky note attached to the top.

_I’m sorry._

No hearts or doodles on it like the past note, no carefully written out handwriting. Just some barely legible scribbles and what looks suspiciously like a few dried tears. Bora picks up the note and crumbles it in her fist, so hard that the tendons in her wrist feel like they’re about to tear in two.

Bora hates herself right now. Knowing that her own apprehension and fear had made Minji cry. Bora did that. She made her _cry._

She lets the note drop to the floor weakly, and climbs into bed, not even bothering to turn out the lights or get under the covers. Bora lays face down and sobs. And sobs, and sobs. 

Bora doesn’t remember falling asleep, but it seems to be mid-morning when she finally wakes up, the tears from the night before making her face feel dry and stiff. She rolls onto her back and stares at the ceiling, feeling too numb to do much else.

She drifts in and out of sleep until she hears a light knock at the door.

“Hey, Bora? Can I come in?” Yoohyeon says quietly.

  
Bora doesn’t respond, so naturally Yoohyeon enters anyway.

“I didn’t say you could come in.” Bora says, her voice hoarse.

“Social obligation demands I offer the courtesy, but personally I don’t give a fuck if you want me in here or not. I’m worried about you.” Yoohyeon says, and she sits in Bora’s desk chair and scoots it to the side of the bed. 

“Why?”

“Well, you haven’t left your room all day, and me and Si saw Minji leave crying last night.”

“Oh.”

Bora sits up and blinks slowly at Yoohyeon. Her face is hard to read, and it’s clear that as much as she cares for Bora, she would not hesitate to tear her a new one, and knowing Yoohyeon, her expression definitely looks more like the latter.

“What happened?”

Bora sighs and looks down at her comforter, picking at a loose thread.

“We had a really good date. Like a super long one, like _all day_ long.” Bora says, to which Yoohyeon nods. “And then we came home, and I guess were just gonna… cuddle-” her face goes red, “-and then I just looked at her wearing my shirt and I don’t know, Yooh. Something in me just snapped.”

“Snapped? Jesus, what’d you yell at her or something?”

Bora exhales loudly. 

“No, Yooh, I didn’t.” Bora shoots her a narrow-eyed glare. “You know I really could use some help right now, and not a verbal lashing.”

At this, Yoohyeon softens a bit, and looks apologetic.

“Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.” She pauses. “But what happened?”

“I think I really like her.” Bora admits.

Yoohyeon just shuts her eyes, and when she opens them, it’s clear she’s holding back.

“It’s been like, four days.” 

“I know.”

“And you think you like her?”

“Well to be fair, we were together for like, seventy-five percent of that time.”

Yoohyeon leans back in the chair and adjusts her posture.

“Alright. I guess. But that doesn’t explain why she left here crying.”

“Well. I kinda realized that I liked her, and I started getting really overwhelmed. I-” Bora winces at the memory, “-I locked myself in the bathroom and had a panic attack because I thought about stuff with my ex. And Minji tried to help me, but it just made me overwhelmed for some reason. I didn’t _yell_ at her, but I wasn’t exactly nice.”

Yoohyeon nods her head slowly and it looks like she’s lost in thought. She takes a moment to ponder what Bora had said before responding.

“So, basically, you’re scared of liking Minji and having it end up like it did with your ex?”

Bora nods.

“Have you considered that Minji is _not_ your ex?”

Bora sits in silence.

“Yeah, but it’s the vulnerability I’m scared of.”

“Well, that never really goes away. With the right person, it just gets easier. Have you talked to Minji about any of that stuff?”

Bora nods. “Yeah, she knows.”

“And _knowing that,_ she still chose to spend her time with you, take you on a date, and tried to help you last night?”

Bora blinks.

_Fuck. I’m so stupid._

Yoohyeon smiles when Bora hangs her head in her hands.

“Oh my god, Yooh. I’m an idiot.”

Yoohyeon lets out a hearty laugh, and stands up and walks over to Bora to give her a friendly slap on the back.

“It’s alright. It’s still rough, Bora. I understand why you’d be hesitant.”

“Yeah. I don’t know, like even though you just talked all of that out with me I still feel really confused about it all. I don’t know if I should keep pursuing it.”

“Why would you not want to?”

“Because I don’t wanna hurt her.”

“Bora.”

“Hmm?”

“Did you hear what you just said?”

“Yeah? I don’t wanna hurt her?”

“You are so dumb sometimes. You’re hurting her by shutting her out, Bora. You didn’t even give her a chance! Give yourself some time to process all of your feelings and communicate that with her. She deserves a chance to prove you wrong, Bora.”

“Oh my god _._ ” Suddenly it all clicks in her head. She’s a little embarrassed that Yoohyeon had to spell it all out for her, but it’s about the destination not the journey, right? She’s pretty sure that’s how the saying goes. 

Yoohyeon sighs and shakes her head as she watches the gears in Bora’s head turn. “What would you do without me?”

“Sleep peacefully.” Bora says without a second thought, which earns her a slap on the arm.

“I love you, stupid. Now stop being _stupid_.” Yoohyeon says.

“Love you too, Yooh. Thanks for talking some sense into me.”

“Well, no one else would!” She says, walking out and closing the door quietly. She opens the door back open, like she forgot to say something. “Oh also, that hickey is fucking enormous.”

Bora’s eyes go wide and she rushes to cover it, but the damage was already done. Yoohyeon just laughs and closes the door, leaving Bora to her thoughts and the ruminating humiliation. Bora slumps back on her bed without a second thought. Yoohyeon may be right, but that doesn’t make unpacking years worth of emotion easy. She considers texting Minji, but even if she could muster up the energy, she’d have no idea what to say.

Bora ends up spending the rest of the day in bed, only being interrupted by Siyeon bringing her dinner. It’s a quick interaction, which Bora thinks is because of the very standout smattering of hickeys on Siyeon’s throat. Bora thinks nothing of it, by now she’s used to her roommate’s blatant displays of affection.

...

Bora is about to sleep when she hears her phone go off. She sighs and trudges over to her desk, where her phone has laid all day. The text is from Minji.

_“Hey. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I’ve been worried about you all day. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable, if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you please let me know. We can talk in person, too, if you’d rather that.”_

Bora just stares at the text, reading it and rereading it for what seems like an hour. Initially, the long text had made her nervous, the anxiety clambering into her chest and making her heart race. But, the more she reads it, the more she consciously thinks about and tries to sort out her feelings, the less scary it gets.

_She cares about you. She’s telling you she does._ Bora reminds herself.

As much as Bora wants to just text Minji everything she’s been feeling, that she’s sorry and just wants to be with her and kiss her and hold her, she knows she needs some time to herself. To be with Minji, she has to let go of the ghosts of her past.

She wants Minji all to herself, and nothing to hold her back.

She takes a deep breath and tries her best to form her thoughts into words.

“ _Hi. I’m okay. There’s nothing wrong with us, but I just need some time to myself, for now. I promise, this is for the better. Can we talk in person in a few days?”_

Bora is embarrassed at how long she took to draft that text, and even then, she feels like it doesn’t really convey what she's feeling. 

Seconds after she sends the text, Minji reads it, the typing bubble popping up instantaneously.

“ _Of course, I understand. Let me know when.”_

Bora can’t really say anything to that, so she just sighs and shuts her phone off. Her nerves are still eating her alive, so she decides to try and take a shower to calm down, her typical cold water and meditation playlist combo working wonders.

She lays down and before she sleeps, all she thinks about is Minji.

* * *

It’s been four days now, and Bora still hasn’t texted Minji back. Not that she doesn’t want to, she’s just been...down.

Of those four days, she had rarely left her bed. She had skipped all of her classes thus far, and more than a few meals. She doesn’t expect herself to heal from these wounds in a week’s time, but after holding it back for a few years it’s finally hitting her full-force.

It’s a lot of crying, stomachaches, and wishing Minji was there to talk to. Yet, in some kind of sick irony, texting Minji back is one of the last things she wants to do. She doesn’t want her to see how she is like this, a sad and sniveling mess that can’t even get out of bed to eat. Deep down, Bora knows that she wouldn’t and _shouldn't_ care, but being vulnerable like that is much easier said than done.

So, another day passes where Bora contemplates life and love and how much both _really_ , truly suck sometimes, when she hears the familiar sound of Minji’s bike outside. The noise is enough to force her out of bed, where she shuffles over to the window and peers out at the street below. Minji is sitting on the ground, hunched over her bike and fiddling with god knows what. Bora notices that it seems a little dark out, and grey clouds muddle the usually clear skies. 

There’s a bunch of tools strewn about, and as Minji wipes some sweat off her forehead, there’s an unmistakable streak of motor oil that stains her face. Minji looks at her hands and inspects them, and she lays her palms on the ground behind her, throwing her head back and taking a rest. Bora smiles at that.

Seeing Minji is enough to quiet the unrest in her brain, an overwhelming calm settling within her. She watches Minji for a few more minutes, and she swaps between tools for a while, though it doesn’t seem like she’s really getting anywhere. Minji stands and paces around, and suddenly a loud crack of thunder reverberates through the air. 

Minji visibly startles, and Bora’s heart breaks at the sight. As if something switches in her, Bora frantically searches around for some clothes, anything presentable enough to go outside in. She needs to be with Minji. Her own feelings be damned, Bora would do anything to make sure Minji is okay right now, especially knowing her unfortunate history with the rain.

A bright flash of lightning illuminates Bora’s room, and the rumble that follows is enough to make the building shake. Bora is nervous now, and she sets out of her apartment in a run, leaving the front door open in her haste. She’s practically jumping down the stairs, especially when she hears the rain start to pour down relentlessly, a numbing thrum against the roof. 

Bora finally reaches the ground floor, and she’s sprinting as fast as her legs can carry her, nearly in tears both from desperation and the stitch in her side. She throws open the door violently, almost slipping on the pavement as she rounds the corner, Minji finally in sight.  
  
There’s some peace Bora finds in seeing Minji again, which quickly evaporates when she sees the state of the woman. She’s soaked to the bone, her hair sticking to her face as she does her best to gather all of her tools and clear her workspace. She doesn’t look like she’s in a hurry, which is alarming.

“Minji?!” Bora nearly screams, startling the woman out of what seems to be a panicked trance.

She doesn’t respond, just furrows her eyebrows at Bora.

“C’mon.” Bora says gently, lacing their fingers together and dragging Minji with her to the covered awning at the front of the building. She wishes Minji would walk a little faster, for her own sake, but Bora doesn’t push it.

“Wait here, okay? I’ll get all your stuff.” Bora says gently, pressing a chaste kiss to Minji’s cheek. 

Minji still doesn’t speak, just listens to Bora and stands there.

Bora frantically runs out to where Minji’s bike is, and gathers as many tools as she can in one hand, dumping them carelessly into the tool bag. She has to do this a few more times, and she's shocked at the sheer amount of _things_ you need to fix a bike. By now, Bora is sopping wet, and she lugs the bag of tools over to the awning, completely breathless. She pauses to try and get some oxygen back in her lungs, bent over pathetically with her hands on her knees. Minji walks over to her slowly, and Bora feels Minji’s surprisingly warm hand on her back. She straightens up, and shoots Minji a shy smile.

“Thank you.” Minji says quietly.

“C’mon, let’s get you inside.” Bora says, wrapping her arm around Minji’s waist, her other hand occupied with the bag of tools. 

Again, Minji obliges wordlessly. They’re about to enter the elevator, when Bora turns to face Minji and squeezes her waist gently.

“You wanna shower at my place or yours?”

Minji just shrugs, clearly still shaken up by the whole situation. Bora offers a comforting smile and rubs her thumb over the wet fabric clinging to her side.

“We’ll go to my place okay?”

Minji nods, and they enter the elevator, where Bora presses the button for the seventh floor. They stand apart, now, in silence.

The doors finally open and they step out, and Bora peers out into the hallway to see her front door still open. She looks at Minji with an awkward smile. 

“Fuck. Well at least I don’t have to look for my keys now, right?” Bora says.

Minji huffs a small breath of a laugh, her lips tugging up for just a second. Bora considers that a win, and the return of some fleeting happiness on Minji’s face is more relieving than she imagined it to be.

Bora walks out first, and Minji follows suit. She feels the older woman’s slender fingers ghost on the back of her hand, and Bora intertwines them together. They walk into the apartment and take off their shoes, Siyeon and Yoohyeon are nowhere to be seen and it seems like they might be out of the apartment.

Bora leads Minji to her room, which is a little unsightly just because of her mental state over the last few days. She winces at the sight of it.

“Sorry, my room’s kinda messy. I've been having a rough couple of days.” Bora admits, embarrassed that she had to say anything at all.

Minji just shakes her head, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Alright uh-” Bora flushes, “Do you want me to like, set up the shower for you or do you want me to…” She trails off, her face going beet red.

“Hmm?”

“Uh….”

Minji tilts her head at Bora, like she’s still unclear what Bora is trying to insinuate. 

“Do you want me to, like, help you? I know you might not be feeling up to it right now but I don’t want you to sit in wet clothes-” Bora rambles on, her voice increasing in pitch the longer she goes on.

Minji just smiles weakly at her.

“Please?” Her voice is a little shaky.

Bora nods.

“Alright, you can go to the bathroom and I’ll get the shower started for you and I’ll set up everything else.” 

Bora sneaks by Minji to open the bathroom door, and starts the shower, making it a little hotter than usual, enough to make the room fill with steam. She hears Minji shuffle behind her into the bathroom, and Bora looks up at her and makes eye contact with her in the mirror. They both offer each other awkward smiles, and Minji starts undressing.

Bora averts her eyes immediately, and she busies herself with checking the water temperature and grabbing towels and washcloths from under the sink. Her face is so hot that she feels like she just dunked her head in molten lava, still unable to look at Minji. She hears her move the shower curtain and get into the shower, and Bora lets out a silent sigh of relief.

Bora hasn’t taken off her soaked clothes yet, nor does she plan to. She wishes that there was a human version of horse blinders, because she’s really unsure how she’s going to manage helping Minji without getting ridiculously flustered. She’s still procrastinating getting into the shower when her thoughts are interrupted by Minji.

“Baby?” she says weakly, her voice muffled by the sound of the water.

The tone of her voice, how gently she had called her, sent shockwaves through Bora, her heart jumping into her throat. Above all, she was worried about Minji, but that pet name was enough to make Bora feel at ease about their situation, and about her own hesitation. She would do anything for her.

“Coming, one second Minj.”

Bora steels herself with a deep breath, and walks to the shower. She prys open the curtain cautiously, her eyes nearly screwed shut. All she sees is Minji’s back, her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders. 

“I’m right here, okay?” Bora continues, moving fully into the shower to stand behind Minji.

Bora moves Minji’s hair out of the way for her, sliding it to one side of her shoulders, and she stops to rub her back reassuringly. She grabs her shampoo and massages it into Minji’s scalp, and when she’s done she taps Minji on the shoulder, as if to tell her to turn around. Minji gets the message, and right as she’s about to wash out the shampoo, Bora does a quick 180, the blush returning to her face immediately as she stares at the tile wall.

“Babe?” Minji asks, and it sounds like she’s holding back a laugh. “Why are your clothes on?”

Bora freezes.

“I, uh, didn’t wanna… make you feel weird.” Bora says, unflinching.

Minji lets out a quiet laugh.

“Okay.”

Bora turns around, prepared again to shut her eyes, but Minji is turned away from her again. Bora grabs the conditioner now, her fingers working quickly to massage it into Minji’s hair, focusing on the ends. She taps her on the shoulder again, and whips herself around accordingly.

Minji laughs again, a real laugh this time. Minji taps her on the shoulder, their way of communicating for the time being, and Bora turns around. She hands Minji a washcloth and the soap, being extremely careful not to touch Minji in the process.

“Okay, I’ll let you finish up. Is that alright?” Bora says, the modesty making itself clear in her weary tone.

Minji laughs again, and nods.

Bora steps out of the shower, breathing yet another deep sigh of relief. That wasn’t as bad as she thought it would have been, yet it was nerve wracking nonetheless. She treads, sopping wet, into her room to put out a pajama shirt and shorts for Minji, and sprints to Siyeon’s room to use her shower, towels and change of clothes slung over her shoulder haphazardly.

Bora knocks on her door loudly, to no answer, though she knew Siyeon wouldn’t care anyway. Bora opens the door and beelines for the bathroom, fully prepared to take the quickest shower of her life. She hops in the shower, does the absolute bare minimum, and towels off quickly. The switch into dry clothes after a searing hot shower is nothing short of luxurious, and Bora is more at ease.

She walks back to her own room, knocking on the door lightly before walking in. Minji has her hair in a towel, and she looks unbelievably cute in Bora’s clothes. The same rush as the first time shoots through Bora at the sight, and now she’s able to embrace it. A wide smile spreads on her face at the realization, she’s overcome with affection.

Minji smiles a little, and knits her brows together. Bora’s shirt is a little small on her, but she’s still swallowed up by it, and Bora can’t get enough of the sight.

“What?” Minji says, and Bora can tell she’s feeling a little better compared to earlier.

“You’re just so… You look so beautiful.”

Minji’s cheeks flush. “It’s just pajamas…”

“Yeah, but you’re in _my_ pajamas. Big difference.”

“Whatever…” Minji replies shyly. 

Minji rolls her eyes and sits on the edge of Bora’s bed. She removes the towel from her hair, which sends her locks sprawling about wildly. She hands the towel to Bora expectantly, who just swipes it away with a laugh as she returns it to the towel rack. 

Bora returns and sits beside her, offering a kind smile. She takes one of Minji’s hands and holds it between her own, tracing over her veins absentmindedly.

“Are you okay?”

Minji laughs.

“Loaded question.” 

Bora snorts at that. 

“Well?”

Minji sighs and slouches, letting out a deep sigh. 

“Just had a rough week. And judging by how you nearly broke your legs running out to get me, I think you know how bad that was, mentally.”

Bora nods meekly.

“Yeah, I know. I was worried.”

“I was worried about you too, Bora.”

Bora’s hands stop, and she feels anxiety bubbling in her chest at the implication. She’s not sure what to say, and tries to calm her thoughts. She takes a deep breath in and holds it, and exhales deeply. 

_I can do this. I know what I want._ She says in her head, a mantra that she makes sure she’ll see the end to.

She looks at Minji, and the older woman looks exhausted. There are bags under her eyes, and her face is drawn into a weary resting expression. 

“Minji, I’m really sorry about the other day. Can I explain myself?”

Minji just nods, her eyes softening when they meet Bora’s own.

Bora sucks in one more deep breath. This is what she’s been readying herself for, and thankfully it seems that Minji is more than willing to hear her out.

“When I locked myself in the bathroom-”

Bora pauses and Minji nods, encouraging her to keep talking.

“It was because I saw you, like, just sitting on my bed. Right?”

Minji nods again, but her eyebrows knit together like she’s not following what Bora’s saying. 

“And that was when I realized I really like you. Like obviously I knew I _liked_ you, but something was different. And it was scary.”

Minji takes Bora’s hands in her own now, and presses a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

“And I just shut down, but you saw that part.” Bora says, her words tapering off with her confidence.

“I just needed time to myself, I guess. To try and process all of that and psych myself up. I’m sorry I wasn’t more open with you about that.”

Minji rubs the backs of Bora’s hands lovingly. It calms her a bit. She takes a moment to think before finally speaking. 

“Bora, baby, you know I don’t think less of you for being scared of all of this?” Minji says.

Tears prick at Bora’s eyes at hearing this, somehow Minji always knows exactly what to say.

“It’s scary, for sure. But I’m here for you, okay? We just need to talk about it, and we’ll be fine.” She pauses. “I was scared too, you make me feel _so_ safe, Bora, and I didn’t wanna lose you before we had the chance to really try and make it work.”

Bora looks at her, and it looks like the entire universe is reflecting back at her from Minji’s warm doe eyes. 

“Minji, I don’t even know what to say. I’m so lucky I found you.”

Minji softens at this, and moves to lay down in the bed. She holds her arms wide open for Bora, and makes baby hands at her, beckoning her over.

“I feel the same way. C’mere, baby. Let me hold you.” Minji says, her voice soft and tired.

Bora smiles lazily and clambers into her open arms, falling exhaustedly into her. Minji’s arms encapsulate her fully, and _god_ she’s so warm. Bora settles face-down on Minji, resting her head in the crook of her neck and wrapping her arms around Minji’s waist.

“Minji, I really _really_ like you.” Bora admits into her neck.

Minji rubs her back comfortingly, and hums.

“I like you too, Bora.”

They sit in silence for a few minutes, just laying in each other’s warmth, before Minji speaks up again.

“Bora? You really remembered what I told you about the rain, and ran down seven flights of stairs to come help me because you knew I would be upset? You’re so sweet.” Minji pauses. “But how did you even know I was down there?”

Bora looks up at her, and there’s unshed tears swimming in her eyes.

“I did remember, yeah. And I heard your bike making dumb noises so I-” she grimaces, “-I was kinda watching from the window for a bit.”

Minji makes an affronted gasp at the revelation, though it’s clear she’s teasing.

“You _are_ a creep! I called it that first night, huh.” Minji says, ending her sentence with a tsk.

Bora smiles at her. “I can’t be too creepy considering you’re here cuddling me right now, in _my_ pajamas, I might add.”

“You got me there.” Minji says opening her mouth and winking at Bora, which elicits a groan from the younger woman. “But in all seriousness, Bora, that meant so much to me. You have no idea.”

“You can _show_ me how much it meant.” Bora says, sitting up enough to crawl into Minji’s lap, straddling her thighs.

“Yeah?” 

Minji smiles softly at Bora and cups her cheeks with both of her hands, and leans in to kiss her. Minji is gentler than she ever has been, her lips moving slowly against Bora’s. Bora can _feel_ how much Minji is spilling her guts through this kiss, how much she really does care for her. They separate slowly and Bora leans back to get a better look at her. 

“Minji, what are we doing?”

Minji looks taken aback, worry painted over her features. Bora corrects herself quickly.

“NO! Not like that, I’m sorry. I just mean like, why are we not-” Bora pauses and pinches the bridge of her nose, frustrated with her brain with going far too fast and making a dumpster fire of her thoughts. “Like, what’s the point of going slow?”

Minji relaxes and lets out a long sigh. She rolls her eyes and grins at Bora. 

“You are so needlessly complicated sometimes.” Minji taps the side of Bora’s temple gently as if to hammer in her point. “Stop thinking so hard, I have all the time in the world to listen to you. But, I mean we had both agreed to go slow for our own sakes.”

Bora nods. “Yes, this is true.” She decides to take a leap of faith. “But _slow is a relative term, right?_ ”, her words echoing back to the night they first kissed. 

Minji’s lips twitch into a knowing smirk. “You aren’t wrong, baby.” She leans forward to plant a kiss on Bora’s forehead. “So what you’re saying is?”

“I’m saying I want to be your girlfriend.” She smiles dazzlingly at Minji, as if she’s trying to convince her.

“Really… that’s a pretty interesting coincidence because I wanna be _your_ girlfriend.” 

“Well, seems like that’s settled!” Bora says lunging into Minji to kiss her.

  
Minji laughs loudly as Bora smothers her in kisses, her face a canvas and Bora’s obscenely puckered lips the brush. Bora, to Minji’s shocked dismay, ends up tickling her stomach, which ends up making Minji scream and bat at Bora to make her stop. Both women are in hysterics, and Bora finally lets up when she feels like she’s tortured Minji enough. 

“You’re so annoying!” Minji yelps.

“And you’re stuck with me, so! Suck it!” Bora says slapping her lightly on the arm.

Minji grips onto Bora’s thighs harshly and bites her lip. Her eyes are lidded and her pupils are wide and dark. 

“Yeah? When?”

Bora screeches and clambers off of Minji, her face covered in an all-over blush. “You’re gross!” She’s on the opposite side of the bed, holding her arms out to keep Minji away from her.

“You think it’s sexy.” 

Bora’s face squishes into one of contempt, her nose scrunching at how hard she scowls.

“Not true.”

Minji crawls towards where she is on the bed, trying her best to look alluring as possible, though Bora just thinks she looks like the undead.

“Babe, you look like you’re an actor at a haunted house.”

Minji stops in her tracks and sits up abruptly. “How could you say that to me?! I was trying to be sexy…”

Bora barks out a laugh. “My god, Minji. Maybe if I was into zombies or something!” Bora said, clutching at her stomach as she laughs even harder as Minji pouts at her.

Minji sits cross-legged in front of Bora, her lips in a pout and her arms crossed. She turns her head away from Bora, refusing to look at her.

“Aww, don’t be like that, Minj.”

Bora grins devilishly when she sees Minji’s lips quirk into a smile at the nickname.

“We’ve been dating for 30 seconds tops, and you already wrecked my self-esteem. Good job, Bora, really! New record.” She huffs out.

_Fuck, is she still kidding?_ Bora thinks, and her brain reels into panic mode.

“Baby, I’m sorry, I was just making a joke I do think you’re sexy, I-”

Minji turns to look at her, and she’s chewing at her lip like she’s holding back a laugh.

“That’s what I wanted to hear. I don’t care if I look like a stupid goddamn zombie, I just wanna revel in the knowledge that you still think I’m sexy anyway.”

The worry is wiped off of Bora’s face, and is replaced with a stoic expression. This woman was gonna be the death of her. She screws her eyes shut and sighs deeply.

“You are really something else, Minji.”

“Yeah and that’s your problem now, baby.” Minji says sweetly, and she crawls over _normally_ to Bora to wrap her in a bear hug. Bora, of course, accepts her embrace easily, and crushes her with an even tighter hug.

Minji presses a kiss to the top of Bora’s head and rocks them gently.

“You make me so happy.” Minji says quietly.

“Me too, Minj. I’m really glad everything worked out.”

They separate for a quick moment, and for the first time in a while, love doesn’t seem so scary. Not when the girl she’s falling for looks like sunshine in a bottle, a blinding smile scrawled over her soft features.

“It’s just a little funny that we didn’t go slow at all.” Bora adds.

Minji’s lips twitch like she’s trying to hold back a laugh.

“Hey, it’s not our fault we have explosive chemistry and no self-control.”

Bora barks out a rough laugh and swats Minji’s shoulder.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Minji.” Bora says, leaning in to kiss her.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading :D i want to do an epilogue for this eventually, so if theres anything in particular you wanna see, let me know in the comments and i might consider it :p  
> feel free to bother me on twitter if you want, @jiuphemisms


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